Non-medical cloth masks can supplement COVID-19 preventative measures (ID 177629623 © Luboslav Ivanko | Dreamstime.com)

By Keaton Brown

Non-Medical Masks

Non-medical cloth masks can bolster COVID-19 preventative measures

Apr 7, 2020 | 1:30 PM

During the COVID-19 situation in Canada, everyone is trying to find the best ways to protect themselves and the general public.

On Monday, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam, said wearing a simple cloth mask is a way for someone who might have COVID-19 without realizing it to avoid spreading the illness to others.

“Wearing a non-medical mask in the community has not been proven to protect the person wearing it. It is an additional way that you can protect others,” she said.

She stressed non-medical cloth masks are not intended to replace other measures in place such as social distancing, but to help stop the spread of the virus from asymptomatic people to the general public.

“We are still in a very critical stage of Canada’s COVID-19 epidemic, and this is no time to relax our preventative measures,” she said.

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North Battleford Mayor Ryan Bater provided some more information on how to properly make use of non-medical cloth masks.

“If you do choose to wear that [a cloth mask] when you leave the house, if you have to leave for necessary things, wash your hands before and after you put it on. Immediately before and immediately after. It should fit well with no gaps,” he said.

Bater also said it is a good idea to keep any cloths masks people are using as clean as possible between uses.

“They can get contaminated from the outside,” he said. “If you come into contact with somebody, which hopefully you won’t as we’re all staying at least two metres away from people, when you get home take them off immediately and throw them in the washing machine. If they aren’t washable then you should throw it out or dispose of it.”

Bater said non-medical masks are only meant to supplement the preventative measures already in place, and people being disciplined with distancing and hygiene remain paramount.

“The one thing we all need to be doing, and this has been said from day one, is strict hygiene. That is the best way to protect yourself,” he said. “If somebody has to go out for groceries, it should only be one person from a household and only that person. They should also try to go only once a week. Make a list, get what you need and get out of there.”

With files from The Canadian Press

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Keaton.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow