Mississauga City Council has voted in favour of repealing its mask bylaw, bringing the city into alignment with the latest guidance from the Ontario government.
The Ontario government lifted its mandatory mask requirement in most settings as of Monday but a separate bylaw requiring that masks be worn in indoor public spaces in Mississauga had remained on the books and was not slated to expire until the end of the month.
But during a meeting on Wednesday council voted to formally lift that bylaw immediately.
The vote came after a deputation from the Mississauga Board of Trade, in which officials raised concerns about confusion among some customers following the lifting of the provincial mandate.
Peel Region’s Medical Officer of Health Dr. Lawrence Loh also submitted a letter to council in which he argued that “the COVID-19 context in Peel no longer supports deviation from provincial direction in our community” due to high vaccination rates and lower case counts.
“As we together enter this next phase of the pandemic in Peel, it is important to note that there will still be circumstances that require masking including legal requirements in certain settings, individuals who are recovering from COVID-19 and/or are close contacts, and those in our community who choose to wear a mask based on their individual circumstances,” Loh noted in his letter. “As we adjust to the changing context of COVID-19, we must remain kind, considerate and respectful towards everyone – regardless of whether they choose to wear a mask or not.”
Today, #Mississauga Council voted unanimously to lift our mask by-law at our first meeting since the province lifted its mandate.
— Bonnie Crombie ���� (@BonnieCrombie) March 23, 2022
I’m confident residents will respect the choices of others.
Masking remains in effect province-wide on transit, health care and congregate settings.
The vote by Mississauga City Council to lift a mask bylaw that had been in place since July, 2020 was unanimous, however Ward 9 Coun. Pat Saito did note that she was voting to lift the bylaw “reluctantly” amid concerns that the province mas moving too quickly in removing restrictions.
Toronto also had a separate mask bylaw in place throughout most of the pandemic but council voted to lift it in coordination with the provincial changes earlier this month.
Masks remain mandatory in a number of high-risk settings, including on public transit and in hospitals, retirement homes, long-term care homes and shelters.
The mask mandate is slated to be removed for those settings as of April 27, alongside all remaining public health restrictions.
