Masks now required at all times in BC fitness facilities, including during workouts

Masks are now required to be worn at all times in fitness facilities, including during workouts, the BC government announced on Tuesday.

In a release, the province said Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth is aligning the Emergency Program Act (EPA) order on face coverings with the provincial health officer’s updated guidance on mask use in fitness facilities.

The move “follows the outlines identified in the Provincial Health Officer’s indoor individual exercise document,” the province said, adding that this change to the EPA order allows police and other officials to enforce this new guidance at their discretion.

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Anyone without a mask in an indoor public place, or who refuses to comply with the direction of an enforcement officer, including the direction to leave the space, or who responds with abusive or belligerent behaviour, may be subject to a $230 fine.

People who cannot wear a mask or who cannot put on or remove a mask without the assistance of others are exempt.