Toronto mayor wants masks to be required in common areas of condos and apartments

Private residential properties are not included under the new bylaw that requires masks or face coverings to be worn in public indoor spaces, so Mayor John Tory is encouraging condos and apartments to implement their own rules requiring masks in common areas such as lobbies and elevators. 

Speaking during the city's press briefing Monday afternoon, Tory said he wrote to the Greater Toronto Apartment Association today to urge them to have mandatory mask rules for the common areas of their rental residential buildings. 

"I know that many tenants want to make sure the common areas in their buildings are as safe as possible, and in that regard they have been communicating with me and asking me questions through the media about the putting in place of such a mask policy," he said. 

"I believe that implementing these rules in buildings will help residents protect each other from the spread of COVID-19, especially when you take into account the number of Torontonians who live in rental residential apartment buildings."

He added that in the case of condominium buildings, some condo corporations have already implemented such policies and have simply posted city signage saying that people should wear a mask — his building included. 

But while some buildings may have already implemented mask policies, others have not, which is made evident by the number of concerns Tory says he continues to hear from tenants.

The mayor said implementing such a policy would be "an act of good corporate citizenship by landlords" that would "come at no cost and would make a significant additional contribution to the war on COVID-19," and he believes most people would comply.

"People comply because they, too, are good citizens, because they want to protect the health of each other, and because we are all in this together," Tory said. 

"I am hopeful that the association of apartment owners will strongly encourage its members to adopt a similar policy requiring face coverings in common areas such as the lobbies, the laundry rooms, and the elevators of residential rental buildings."