Lethbridge mask bylaw gets new extension until April 30

Lethbridge City Council was meeting tonight to discuss whether or not we will be wearing masks until the end of the year. Last Thursday, a committee met and put forward a motion to not extend the mandatory face covering bylaw in our city. Councillors Blaine Hyggen, Ryan Parker, and Joe Mauro voted in favour of the motion. Mark Campbell voted against it. Tonight, late into the night, Councillors were debating whether or not to accept the recommendations from the committee to let it expire or to continue with the mandatory mask covering bylaw.

Council voted 6-3 in favour of extending the Temporary Mandatory Face Covering Bylaw in Lethbridge until April 30.

There was also a vote by Council to ask Administration to bring forward an amending Bylaw to harmonize the City of Lethbridge Bylaw exemptions with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw’s exemptions put forth in Alberta.

The Province of Alberta brought forth a province-wide mask requirement on December 8, 2020.

The current Lethbridge mask bylaw requires businesses to post mandatory face covering signage to help and remind customers of the bylaw.

If the vote to extend the mask bylaw had been shot down, that would have meant no mandatory signage would be required of Lethbridge businesses. The provincial masking guidelines say that no signage is required.

The Temporary Mandatory Face Covering Bylaw first came into effect in Lethbridge in August of 2020.