The required use of face coverings on planes, trains, ships and transit is being expanded across the country to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau has released a statement which makes the new policy effective as of noon on Thursday June 4th.

Airline flight crew and airport workers will be required to wear non-medical masks, in addition to the existing requirement for passengers.

Railway operators will be required to notify passengers to wear a face covering when physical distancing of two metres from others cannot be maintained.

In addition, Garneau outlines that practices for the use of masks will be established for trucking, motor coaches and transit in collaboration with provinces, territories and industry.

Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown announced Wednesday, masks or face covering will be mandatory on his city’s transit starting in early July.

“We have a lot of people taking public transit for essential work, for the food processing industry, for the laboratory industry, and I want to take every precaution possible,” Brown explained, “We’re keeping these transit passengers safe and the operators (safe), we’ve had five operators who’ve tested positive.”

Currently, it is not mandatory, but strongly recommended for TTC and Mississauga Transit riders to wear masks.