Thread by @CMOH_NL

⚠ Effective midnight tonight, the special measures order requiring masks in indoor public spaces will be in effect.

🧵 THREAD -- Please Retweet 🙏

Masks will be *required* in the following settings:

✅ public transit, including buses, taxis, car services and public areas of ferries;
✅ retail businesses, shopping malls, community markets and service companies;
✅ common areas of an office building that is accessible to the public;

✅ common areas of tourist accommodations such as hotels and cottages;
✅ places where municipal or government services are offered to the public;
✅ places of worship and funeral homes;
✅ cinemas, theatre and performing arts venue;
✅ indoor entertainment venues;

✅ a rental room, community centre, or other venue used to host gatherings;
✅ a sports-related clubhouse;
✅ community museums and historic site;
✅ bingo halls, fitness centres, dance and yoga studios;

✅ arenas and other places where sports or recreational activities are practiced;
✅ restaurants and lounges; and
✅ post-secondary educational institutions including colleges, universities and trades schools.

We have been closely monitoring the epidemiology outside our province and we are seeing a substantial rise in COVID-19 cases across Canada.

The #DeltaVariant is now the dominant strain in 🇨🇦 & among our prov. cases. This variant is more easily transmitted & causes more severe illness than the orig. COVID strain. In response, most jurisdictions are escalating public health restrictions to curb the spread of the virus.

🏫K-12 schools: masks are required on school buses as well as in common areas of the school. Students in Grades 4 to 12 are required to wear masks at all times while in school. Staff are also required to wear masks at all times while in school. This is the same as previously.

🏢 Private offices and workplaces that are not open to the public are excluded from the requirement; however they may implement their own masking policies.

🧒 Masks are not required for children under the age of 5, and people with physical or mental health conditions that prevent them from wearing a mask.

The increased transmissibility of the delta variant will require more of us to be fully vaccinated to provide community protection.

🙏🙏🙏 I urge any of you out there who are not fully vaccinated get vaccinated. As always, we will continue to watch the epidemiology and when we are back in a place where we feel it is safe to remove the mandate, we will do so.

Masking will not be forever.

Have a safe and enjoyable weekend. #HoldFast Newfoundland and Labrador. ♥