Should indoor masks be mandatory in public? Hamilton's board of health votes Friday

The city has drafted a bylaw mandating that people wear masks indoors in public spaces, and Hamilton's board of health will vote on it Friday.

Mayor Fred Eisenbergermade the announcement during a Tuesday city council meeting aboutpatio expansions. The bylaw will go to the board of health on Friday, and if approved, city council will ratify it the following Friday.

"The bylaw'sbeen drafted it's coming to public health on Friday which will require mandatory masking throughout the community indoor spaces," he said.

The city's medical officer of health has recommended a mask bylaw to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Eisenberger said, and he'll support it.

Wearing a face mask is already mandatory when riding the bus, and free masks are available at the MacNab transit terminal.

The city also has a temporary physical distancing bylaw that preventspeople from being within two metres of someone outside of their social bubble. So far, 64 people have been ticketed.

Post-secondary institutions have also announced that they will be requiring masks in some buildings, with some confirming that masks are needed to even step foot on campus.