Calgary's mask bylaw will remain in place until at least July 5

CALGARY -

Calgarians will be required to continue to wear masks in indoor public spaces and on Calgary Transit, even after the province enters Stage 3 of its reopening plan.

Council voted to come back and discuss repealing the city's mask mandate on July 5. Alberta will remove nearly all of its provincial health restrictions on July 1.

"Our second dose rates are really good," said Mayor Naheed Nenshi.

"But I know right now there's no appointments available. So I just want to make sure enough people have their second dose so that when the Delta variant wave comes, most people will be protected."

When council returns to discuss its mask bylaw on July 5, it will look at Calgary hospitalizations, ICU numbers, case rates and the amount of Calgarians who have received two doses of the vaccine to determine when to lift the mandate.

Council could vote to repeal the mask mandate immediately on that day, the mayor said.

Earlier on Monday, Cllr. Jeromy Farkas pitched a motion to align Calgary's mask bylaw with the provincial reopening plan. But the motion to repeal the city's mask bylaw when Alberta enters Stage 3 on July 1 was lost on a 7-7 tie.

The mayor also says the Calgary Stampede is also currently planning to make it mandatory that everyone wear a mask in indoor settings.

"Their current safety plan will require masks indoors, whether or not the mask bylaw is in place," said Nenshi, who sits on the Stampede board. He said that plan could be updated to remove that requirement, however.