Health & Safety Guidelines

Safety is a shared responsibility. Help keep each other healthy by following health & safety guidelines as you enjoy public spaces.

• Practice physical distancing by staying 2 metres (6 feet) apart from other groups. Face masks are recommended if physical distancing is not possible.
• Face masks are mandatory in all indoor public spaces for everyone 5+ years of age.
• Cover your mouth & nose when sneezing or coughing. If you use a tissue, put it in the garbage and wash your hands or use hand sanitizer right away.
• Wash your hands often for at least 15 seconds with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Stay home if you are not feeling well.

Note that any public location where people are present provides an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19. By being in public places you voluntarily assume the risks related to exposure. Some imagery shown throughout our website and social media may not represent current situations and health & safety guidelines. Due to the evolving nature of this situation, details are subject to change without notice.

Niagara Regional Council approved a by-law making it mandatory to wear a face covering or non-medical mask in enclosed public places as of 12:01 am on July 31, 2020 and will remain in effect until April 1, 2021 unless extended by Regional Council.

Face masks are also required at many outdoor attractions, including Niagara Parks attractions, and recommended when physical distancing isn't possible outdoors.

The by-law applies to the following enclosed indoor places:

• Common areas of hotels and motels and other short term accommodations, such as lobbies, elevators, meeting rooms or other common use facilities but does not include the common areas of residential apartment buildings or condominiums
• Arcades and other amusement facilities
• Retail stores where goods and services are sold to customers
• Businesses that primarily sell food including restaurants (masks can be removed while seated at your table)
• Museums, galleries, historic sites and similar attractions
• Shopping malls or similar structures which contain multiple places of business
• Public transit operated by the Niagara Region and local area municipalities
• Lobby areas of commercial buildings
• Concert venues, theatres and cinemas
• Fitness centres, gyms, other recreational and sports facilities and clubhouses
• Premises utilized as an open house, presentation centres or other facility for real-estate purposes
• Businesses providing personal care services
• Banquet halls, convention centres, arenas, stadiums and other event spaces
• Municipal buildings
• Supermarkets, grocery stores, bakeries and convenience stores
• Churches, mosques, temples, synagogues and other places of worship, except during a religious rite or ceremony that is incompatible with the face being covered
• Laundromats

When it comes to children, every child that is five years old or older will be required to wear a mask.

Under the by-law, all businesses operating in Niagara must have a policy regarding the wearing of face coverings that prevent persons from entering without a mask. Additionally, businesses must ensure that staff receive training in the requirements of the policy and provide hand sanitizer at all public entrances.