The Alberta government upgraded Airdrie's COVID-19 status to "enhanced" Nov. 6, triggering the City of Airdrie's Mandatory Face Covering (Mask) bylaw.
"As you may have heard from [Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical officer of health,] the voluntary measures we strongly encouraged people to comply with have not been enough and Airdrie's case counts have risen dramatically," Mayor Peter Brown said via press release. "So, under the guidance of the experts, we are enacting the mandatory face covering bylaw."
Under the bylaw, masks must now be worn anytime a person is "in a public premises or a public vehicle unless the person is separated from other persons by an installed screen, shield or other barrier."
Children under the age of five, people with underlying medical conditions or disabilities and people who are unable to place a mask without assistance are exempt from the bylaw. Masks also do not have to be worn if someone is seated at a table in a restaurant or working out. Additionally, in cases where a mask would hinder someone's ability to care for a person with a disability, they are not required.
The mandatory face covering requirement will remain in effect until 14 days after the Alberta government removes Airdrie's enhanced designation.
According to the City, local RCMP plans to enforce the bylaw. Anyone who contravenes the bylaw may be issued a ticket. Failing to wear a face mask could result in a $100 ticket.
With the shift to enhanced status, Airdrie is now also under a provincial restriction mandating a maximum of 15 people at social gatherings including parties, baby showers, weddings and funeral receptions and banquets. The restriction does not apply to restaurant dining, worship services, wedding ceremonies, conferences, fitness centres or funeral services.
Airdronians are also encouraged to abide by voluntary restrictions. At a briefing Nov. 6, Premier Jason Kenney urged residents in communities that are seeing rapid transmission of COVID-19 - including Airdrie – to limit personal cohorts to three. According to airdrie.ca, those would be a household cohort, a school cohort and one more social or sport cohort. Young children in child care may be part of a fourth cohort.
The City is also encouraging all residents to wear a mask in indoor work settings unless you are working alone in an office or cubicle where you are safely distanced from others.
Local cases have continued to increase in recent days. As of Nov. 6, Airdrie had 130 active cases of COVID-19. To date, there have been no local deaths.
Two local schools – George McDougall High School and Northcott Prairie School – were listed as open with outbreaks of two to four cases, according to the Alberta government's interactive school status map.
Airdrie's increase mirrors trends in the rest of the province. Kenney reported 609 new cases in Alberta Nov. 6, with 117 people in hospital and 33 in intensive care units.
"Albertans need to understand these numbers are set to grow with the growing case count," Kenney said.
The majority of transmission was occurring at large social gatherings like parties, Kenney said. Socializing is a normal part of life, he said, but added, "We have to make sure we're socializing in the safest way possible."
Kenney said Albertans must take COVID-19 seriously, as a continued increase in cases would put the economy and the health care system at risk. He added Alberta was "at a turning point."
Ben Sherick, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @BenSherick
