2021
New Mask Order Issued from the PHO: September 2, 2021
The Provincial Health Officer issued a new order today in respect of the provincial mask mandate (the “Order”). The Order states that it replaces the “oral order” made on August 24, 2021. The Order states that face coverings that cover the nose and mouth must be worn while inside an indoor public space or a post-secondary space in British Columbia.
An indoor public space includes the following, but does not include working areas of these spaces (that is, areas the public does not visit):
- City Halls;
- Retail or service businesses;
- Office buildings;
- Hotels, restaurants, bars, malls;
- Pharmacies;
- Fitness or sports facilities;
- Conference centers;
- Courthouses (but not courtrooms);
- Theaters, cinemas, concert halls, museums, galleries, and libraries;
- Public transportation and taxis;
- Airports, seaports and heliports.
Workers who are in these spaces must wear masks.
Exemptions from the order apply to the following groups:
- People under 12 years of age;
- People who cannot wear a mask because of a health condition or a physical, cognitive or mental impairment; and
- People who cannot put on or remove a mask without assistance.
Exemptions from the order requiring a mask apply to the following circumstances:
- When a person must be identified;
- While seated and consuming food or drink;
- While participating in an exercise activity or sport at a fitness facility or sport center;
- While communicating with a person who lip reads; and
- When delivering a lecture or presentation if there is two meters between the speaker and others or there is a physical barrier.
Workers who are exempt must not provide face to face services unless there is a physical barrier between themselves and the public.
Operators of these spaces must post signs at all entrances notifying people that masks are required.
Pam Costanzo
Download pdf: New Mask Order Issued from the PHO: September 2, 2021