We should’ve been told about masks

As Ottawa Public Health officials mandate the wearing of face coverings inside buildings used by the public, it leaves the question as to how many lives would have been saved had this initiative been adopted at the beginning of March.

I find it incredible that western governments turned a blind eye to the mask-wearing regulations implemented in Asian countries and I believe that this arrogance has resulted in the loss of many lives in the western world.

While it is recognized that in the beginning it was essential to preserve the supply of medical masks for front-line essential workers, I believe it was the responsibility of the scientific community to have alerted the public via the media as to the risks of not wearing masks when physical distancing was likely to be compromised.

The question is: How do we prevent this mistake from being repeated?

Ian Moody, Stittsville