Toronto Wants To Extend Physical Distancing & Mask Bylaws Into The Summer
Keep your masks handy, Torontonians, because the city is looking at extending its physical distancing and mask bylaws for a few more months.
The temporary bylaws were set to expire at the beginning of February, but now Toronto wants to extend them until at least June 2021.
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Potential new end date for mask and distancing bylaws
The new bylaw extension recommendation comes from Dr. Eileen de Villa, Toronto's Medical Officer of Health, and it was announced via press release on Thursday.
The recommendation will go before Toronto's City Council at its next meeting on February 2, and city councillors will vote on whether to extend them or not.
The physical distancing bylaw became an official bylaw in April 2020, and it prohibits Torontonians from hanging out less than six metres away in parks and public squares.
The mask bylaw was first approved a few months later in July 2020.
It makes mask-wearing mandatory in all public indoor places, like retail stores, malls, libraries, and business offices open to the public.
Toronto also announced that the Medical Officer of Health will assess the bylaws on a monthly basis to see if they need to be extended, amended, or ended.