Mask mandate to end on Transit Windsor buses
Masks may soon become optional on public transit in Windsor after the federal government announced Monday it is dropping all COVID-19 border restrictions for anyone entering Canada.
Transit Windsor officials said masking requirements would likely be lifted in October following consultation.
“We have to work through some things internally, but I would expect early October to see that gone,” said Tyson Craag, executive director of Transit Windsor.
Craag said since the government is making the ArriveCan application optional and is lifting the mask mandate for travellers on planes and trains, the same should apply for Transit Windsor users.
“Obviously we have a health and safety committee and we want to make sure we do proper consultation with them before that's lifted,” Craag explained. “It's to protect our employees. That's our primary concern, also the protection and safety of the passengers, but I think just like the federal government's line of reasoning in terms of high vaccination rates, and largely we're over the crest of the curve of that Omicron four and five, I think we're in a good position to do that and it falls in line with other transit agencies as well.”
Last week, Craag told CTV News transit officials were preparing to train their driving staff for the return of the Detroit-Windsor tunnel bus service, noting that 25 per cent were hired during the pandemic. Craag said the goal is to lift mask mandates first before cross-border commutes resume.
“Buses are a well-ventilated spaces. The doors open every 30 seconds or so, there's windows that open, so from a passenger safety perspective I think it's a very safe place to be.”
“We're really just falling in line with what other agencies are doing.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Tropical fish stolen from Beachburg, Ont. restaurant found and returned
Ontario Provincial Police have landed a suspect following a fishy theft in Beachburg, Ont.
U.S. FAA launches investigation into unauthorized personnel in cockpit of Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto
The U.S.’s Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a video that appears to show unauthorized personnel in the cockpit of a charted Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto.