There will be no changes to Chatham-Kent’s mandatory mask bylaw.
Council looked at a number of recommendations last night, including physical distancing requirements and hand sanitizer in indoor public places, as well as exemptions for churches.
“Masks are really there to protect respiratory droplets of those wearing them,” says April Rietdyk, Chatham-Kent’s GM of Community Human Services. “When we sing, when we speak loudly, those kinds of activities propel those respiratory droplets further than if we are speaking or sitting quietly at a restaurant.”
Rietdyk says a number of Chatham-Kent’s COVID cases have come from congregate settings such as church and faith-based services, although didn’t provide more specifics.
In a tie vote, council voted down the staff recommendations, including physical distancing requirements and the provision of hand sanitizer in public spaces.
