Back to SearchEffective September 10, 2021, non-medical face masks will be required when visiting City facilities and while riding Prince Albert Transit for all members of the public and City employees. Prince Albert City Council unanimously approved the measure Tuesday evening following a presentation from Dr. Chokani, Medical Health Officer for the Prince Albert region, outlining the surging cases of Covid-19 in Prince Albert.
Covid-19 cases continue to rise in Prince Albert and region. The Delta variant is now the prominent strain present in Prince Albert which is highly contagious compared to the original strain. The measure to require masks will be implemented as an immediate first step to protect the health and safety of residents, customers and employees.
“By now, I would have expected to see much higher vaccination rates in our region,” said Mayor Greg Dionne. “With the rise in Covid-19 cases our ICUs are full. We have to go back to the protection measures that worked for us and one of the most effective measures is masks.”
The City of Prince Albert lifted all remaining gathering limits and mask mandates following the removal of public health orders by the Government of Saskatchewan in July. “The rapid, uncontrolled rise of Covid1-9 cases in Prince Albert cannot be ignored,” said Mayor Dionne. “We cannot wait for the Saskatchewan Government. We must take action now.”
The City will also be working towards a plan for mandatory proof of a negative Covid-19 test for both the public and employees accessing City facilities who cannot provide proof of being fully vaccinated. This plan will be prepared in consultation with the health region and presented at an upcoming Executive Committee meeting for review prior to implementation.
Exceptions to wearing a face mask at City Facilities includes:
- Sport and aquatic activities when competing/practicing in the activity;
- Anyone with an underlying medical condition or disability which inhibits the ability to wear a face covering or anyone providing assistance to a person with an underlying medical condition or disability where the use of a non-medical face mask would hinder the provision of assistance;
- Person unable to place or remove a mask or face covering without assistance;
- Children under the age of two (2) years old; and
- First responders in an emergency.
For updates on current and future Covid-19 safety measures, please visit https://www.citypa.ca/covid19/
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For further media inquiries, please contact:
Mayor Greg Dionne
(306) 953-4300
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