Wearing a mask will be mandatory in all closed public places in Montreal by the end of July, announced mayor Valérie Plante.
Shops, cinemas, shopping centers, grocery stores will only welcome masked customers. Over the past few days, we have witnessed the emergence of some outbreaks in the suburbs of Montréal, which could undermine the efforts we have been making since the beginning of this pandemic.
Valerie Plante took to Facebook addressing Montrealer's. I want to be clear: "we must do everything we can to protect ourselves. That is why the Ville de Montréal is currently working on a by-law making it mandatory to wear face coverings in enclosed public places. We will draw on the experiences of Canadian cities that have already adopted such a by-law, or are about to do so."
The municipal council will be called to order for the by-law to be implemented by the end of the month. Our intention is that the wearing of face coverings will be mandatory in public closed places as of July 27, as is the case for public transit.
Since most sectors of the economy have reopened, I have been meeting with Montréal merchants to take the pulse of the deconfinement. While our courageous entrepreneurs look to the future with enthusiasm and resilience, many of them have pointed out to me the daily challenges they face in ensuring that the rules of hygiene and distancing are respected in their establishments. For many, a loosening leading to eventual reconfinement would simply mean putting the key under the door.
A setback would be a disaster for human lives and for our economy.
"We will, of course, allow a period of adjustment and grace so that everyone is ready." Plante explained
"While we will not hesitate to crack down on offenders in the long run in order to enforce the regulations, we see this as a way to help merchants more easily enforce the rules with their customers and to target a minority of offending institutions. It's a whole part of our economy, as well as the health and wages of thousands of workers, at stake."
Although our regulations are not yet in force, I invite all Montrealers to take part in this final battle against COVID-19 by wearing a face covering today.