The City of Windsor, Ont., expanded its mandatory mask policy Wednesday as it moved to Stage 3 of reopening.
The new order, issued by Mayor Drew Dilkens, added places of worship, apartment buildings and theatres to the list of indoor spaces where people are required to wear a face mask. Exceptions would be made for children and people with underlying medical conditions.
The Windsor-Essex region was the last in the country to reopen and had been held back for weeks due to the high number of COVID-19 cases reported on local farms.
Dilkens said the new order would provide an extra measure of protection as the community reopens.
"I'm committed to doing everything within my power to make sure that we keep the spread of COVID-19 low in my community," he said in a statement. "So we want to make this as simple as possible: if you're in an indoor public space, wear a mask. By taking this important step, we'll add consistency and uniformity to the rules to help keep everyone safe."
Moving to Stage 3 means most businesses and public spaces will be allowed to reopen, but public health guidance on physical distancing and social "bubbles" of 10 people remain in place.
Ontario reported 95 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, along with one new death related to the illness.
Health Minister Christine Elliott announced on Twitter that 134 more cases were marked as resolved.
Elliott also said 28 of the province's 34 public health units reported five or fewer cases over the previous 24 hours, with 16 of them reporting none.
The province processed 24,500 tests over the last 24 hours, Elliott wrote.
Forty-nine people were in hospital with COVID-19, with 20 people in intensive care and 10 on ventilators. The province's total case count stands at 40,289, with 36,590 marked as resolved and 2,787 deaths.
Also on Wednesday, a class-action lawsuit was filed against Carlingview Manor, an Ottawa-area long-term care home, claiming $25 million on behalf of its residents and their families.
At least 61 residents at Carlingview Manor have died as a result of contracting COVID-19 and related illnesses.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 12, 2020.
Shawn Jeffords, The Canadian Press