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Mask mandate to end on Transit Windsor buses 

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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.”

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