WINNIPEG -- Winnipeg’s mayor announced on Friday that the city has asked provincial health officials for recommendations regarding wearing masks on transit buses.

At a news conference, Mayor Brian Bowman said the city is doing everything it can to follow the recommendations of the province.

“We asked the province for recommendations with respect to the issue of wearing masks on transit,” he said.

“I’m speaking about riders, in particular, so we’re hoping for their recommendations moving forward.”

The mayor mentioned the fact the earlier this week Transport Minister Marc Garneau expanded the required use of face masks on transit.

“We heard communications from the federal government that was new. And to date, the province hasn’t recommended that transit riders wear masks on transit buses. We want to make sure that we’re following the recommendations and so we’ve asked for clarity on what those recommendations are,” Bowman said.

Jaw Shaw, assistant manager of the city’s emergency operations centre, said from his point of view, there is no concern regarding people riding buses without masks.

“We want to work with the province to make sure that we’re following the recommendations,” he said.

“What I can tell you is the information we’ve been given around non-medical masks and face coverings is they’re there to protect other people. Non-medical masks are used to protect other people. There are issues with non-medical asks in terms of keeping them clean, wearing them properly, and we just want to be in lock-step and work with provincial health orders and public health on the recommendations.”

Transit drivers in Winnipeg have already been provided with reusable, washable masks to wear on their shifts.