A woman wears a mask as she rides a streetcar in Toronto, on March 20, 2020.Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press
Toronto’s mayor says he’s optimistic transit riders will comply with a new rule requiring them to wear face masks.
John Tory says he hopes there will be no need to enforce the rule, which takes effect today, but notes all bylaws come with possible fines for infractions.
He says the city and the Toronto Transit Commission are emphasizing education over penalties.
TTC staff have been handing out disposable masks at transit stations this week in anticipation of the rule coming into effect.
Riders who cannot wear masks due to medical conditions are exempt, as are children under the age of two.
Tory says transit enforcement officers will not be asking for proof of medical exemption, and warned against any vigilante efforts to enforce the mask requirement.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says new federal public health models are showing that the many restrictions Canadians have suffered with to suppress COVID-19 have worked. But he says the country still has 'hotspots' and any of them could explode into a bigger outbreak if we don't stay vigilant.
The Canadian Press
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