The City of Toronto has formally apologized to a prominent Sikh organization for “any delay” in reinstating Sikh security guards let go over a no-beard policy that forced several to choose between their jobs and a key a tenet of their faith.

Effective Tuesday, the city says it will immediately allow for “under-mask beard covers” as a form of religious accommodation for guards at city sites that require N95 respirators, the city said in a news release Tuesday evening.

The method involves a tight-fitting covering worn over the beard, as well as the chin and cheeks, tied in a knot at the top