Tonight, at the Regular Council Meeting, Mayor and Council passed a bylaw making face coverings mandatory in indoor public places effective immediately.
“This bylaw is temporary and will only be activated when the Province has Drumheller or our neighbouring communities as listed as Enhanced Status.” Explains Deputy Mayor Jay Garbutt. “We recognize that this is a controversial topic in our community, however, the health and safety of our residents is the most important issue.”
According to Bylaw 20.20, an indoor public place means all or part of a building, structure, or other enclosed areas to which the public has access as of right or by invitation, express, or implied, regardless of whether a fee is charged for entry, and for clarification includes but is not limited to:
i. eating and drinking establishments;
ii. Public Vehicles;
iii. entertainment establishments, amusement arcades, bingo establishments, adult entertainment establishments, and theatres;
iv. markets, retail stores, garden centres, shopping centres, and other places where goods or services are made available to the public;
v. places of worship, community facilities, recreational facilities, and places where people gather for cultural purposes;
vi. gyms, studios, and other exercise facilities;
vii. indoor or enclosed parking facilities;
viii. premises used as an open house, presentation centre, or other facility for real estate purposes;
ix. common areas of hotels, motels, and other short term rentals;
x. medical clinics; and
xi. offices to which the public has access;
The Government of Alberta indicated that for Drumheller to be removed from enhanced status, the cases would have to be less than 10, or less than 50 per 100,000 for thirty consecutive days. As of today, Drumheller has 63 active cases, or 699.5 per 100,000 along with two deaths, ranking us in the top 10 for cases per 100,000 in the province.
A list of exemptions to Bylaw 20.20 can be found on Drumheller.ca
