High Level Town Council passed a mandatory face-coverings bylaw last week, but it is not in effect, yet.
According to Mayor Crystal McAteer, the rule that was passed is similar to others in the region that it requires masks to be worn in indoor public spaces.
This bylaw also has a trigger, which will be activated when the Mackenzie County zone (according to Alberta Health Services) is at 12 or more active cases.
At the time of this story, the county is currently at six current cases.
Should the bylaw become active, the region would need to be under that 12-case threshold for 14 consecutive days for the bylaw to be inactive.
McAteer was asked about using the whole region to activate the trigger and explains that High Level is a hub for the north.
“High Level is a regional hub,” explains McAteer.
“A lot of people come here for medical purposes, including people from first nations, and LaCrete so transmission is fairly easy within our region.”
McAteer adds that face coverings are just one tool to protect the public from the novel coronavirus.
“It is not going to stop the spread on its own,” she says.
“If people continue to distance, use sanitizer and the masks, we hope that will somehow stop the spread in our region.”
In closing, McAteer states that since High Level is a regional hub, council feels it has the responsibility to protect not only its residents, but visitors as well.
“The first nation communities around us use High Level as a shopping centre and it is catastrophic when it gets into the first Nation because many families live in close quarters with one another so that was one of the reasons behind it,” says McAteer.
“It was not to penalize anyone; it was to ensure the safety of everyone in our region.”
Click here for a link to the bylaw.
– Kenny Trenton, Trending 55 Newsroom
