Face coverings now mandatory in all Leduc indoor public spaces and vehicles

Effective Oct. 8, face coverings are mandatory in all indoor publicly accessible spaces and vehicles within the City of Leduc.

Council met Thursday, when the number of active COVID-19 cases in the city reached 13, enacting the Face Coverings Bylaw.

Councillors previously drafted the bylaw with the intention of activating it when the city reached 10 active cases.

The rule means that — with some exemptions — face masks or coverings are required to be worn inside all public spaces, including buildings, taxis and vehicle-for-hire transportation.

Masks have been required on public transit and LATS vehicles since Aug. 1.

READ MORE: Edmonton city council passes bylaw to mandate masks in all indoor public spaces

Face masks were made mandatory in all indoor public spaces in Edmonton on Aug. 1.

As of Oct. 8, the Capital Region, including Edmonton and Leduc, was put under the “enhanced” category of Alberta Health’s COVID-19 status map, meaning “risk levels require enhanced public health measures to control spread, informed by local context.”

Leduc’s active case rate (per 100,000 population) was 39.4 on Thursday. Edmonton’s active case rate was 108.8.

Alberta Health announced new voluntary restrictions for the Edmonton zone, including limiting private gatherings to less than 15 people, wearing masks in all indoor work settings and calling on Albertans to cap their number of cohort groups at three.

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“The health and safety of all our residents is our utmost concern, so we feel that with the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the rise in our city, it is time to implement this critical measure throughout Leduc,” said Mayor Bob Young.

“We appreciate our residents’ and visitors’ support and compliance with this preventative health action as we strive to keep our community as healthy as we can.”

In a news release, the City of Leduc said bylaw officers will take an education-first approach in order to give everyone in the community time to adjust to the new health protocols.

Under the bylaw, local business owners have the choice whether or not to deny service to anyone who refuses to comply, and may also sell or provide face coverings to their patrons if they so choose. Failure to wear a face covering could result in a $100 fine.

“Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, we have taken a common-sense approach in our city’s response, while following the guidance of the experts at the province of Alberta and Alberta Health Services,” Young said.

“We are confident that our Face Coverings Bylaw — with its protocols, exceptions and stipulations — reflects this measured response and serves the best interests of our entire community.”