Mask mandate on Winnipeg Transit expected to continue for the 'foreseeable future': city

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WINNIPEG — Despite the province planning to lift its mask mandate this weekend, the City of Winnipeg says residents should expect to wear masks in city facilities and on Winnipeg Transit for the 'foreseeable future.'

On Tuesday, along with a list of eased restrictions, Manitoba's chief public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin announced the province's mask mandate will be coming to an end.

When the new health orders come into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 7, public health will no longer require masks to be worn in indoor public places.

A spokesperson for the City of Winnipeg told CTV News the city will provide an update on the impact of the health orders on city services once the new orders have been reviewed.

"Currently, masks are required in all city facilities and on Winnipeg Transit, and the public should expect that we will continue this requirement for the foreseeable future," the spokesperson said in an email to CTV News.

Masks have been a requirement in city facilities and on transit in Winnipeg for nearly a year. The city put its mask mandate in place in late August 2020, nearly a month before the province made masks mandatory in indoor public places in Winnipeg.

On Tuesday, the province's top doctor did point out that individual businesses can decide their own rules in terms of mandating masks.

Roussin said masks are strongly recommended to be worn by those who are not fully vaccinated and children under the age of 12.