Effective Sept. 1, all Bold Center users will be mandated to wear facemasks in common areas of the recreation facility during weekday visits from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
The mandatory order is in place in all common areas and washrooms at the 200,000 square foot recreation facility. The decision for mask use was put in place to co-incide with the back-to-school start-up of the J.A. Williams High School which is connected to the building.
Masks on Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
To abide by provincial health regulations, all schools in the province have facemask protocols for students, including mandatory facemasks for all students from Grades 4 to 12 in all common areas, hallways and bathrooms of the schools.
"Since the Bold Center is an integral part of the high school, we have met with (school officials) to try to meet our requirements and theirs," said Lac La Biche County's senior manager of recreation and community enhancement Darrell Lessmeister this morning, explaining that students from the high school will continue to use the Bold Center facilities — the fieldhouse for indoor physical education and the food court for lunch breaks — as school comes back into session. "After-hours and during the weekends, we are not going to do it then."
Lessmeister said extra sanitization and cleaning will take place inside the facility due to the increased traffic expected from students. Bold Center patrons will not have to wear masks once they get to specific areas of the recreation facility.
As municipal and school officials continue to watch the COVID-19 reactions from provincial, federal and global health professionals, Lessmeister said local reactions continue to be "a moving target."
While the sudden call for masks may take some by surprise, he said the number one criteria continues to be public well-being.
"First and foremost, is the safety of the students and the safety of the patrons to the facility," Lessmeister said.
The new policy takes place immediately. Lessmeister said there are some masks available at the Bold Center reception area, but he expects most people coming into the building to have their own masks.
