OFFICIALS URGE MORE MASK USE IN PUBLIC
Medical leaders now recommend face coverings as added layer of protection when physical distancing is not option
It’s the mask ask.
Health officials and political leaders are now recommending people wear nonmedical masks in public when it is not possible to stay at least two metres apart.
Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief medical officer of health, said Wednesday that as people get out and about more in the warm weather they must be vigilant.
“For the spring and summer months, strict adherence to the public health basics of physical distancing, handwashing, and cough etiquette must continue as the bare minimum,” Tam said in Ottawa.
“Where COVID-19 activity is occurring, use of non-medical masks — or face coverings — is recommended as an added layer of protection when physical distancing is difficult to maintain,” she said, adding people who are sick “must” stay home.
Earlier in the pandemic, Tam had suggested masks were optional, but on Wednesday she said “we need to flexibly change our measures as we get more information.”
That’s necessitated the need for updated guidelines on non-medical masks according to the federal, provincial and territorial governments.
Limiting the spread of COVID-19 with masks and other measures such as frequent hand washing, cough etiquette, and staying home when sick through the spring and summer will give officials more lead time to prepare for “whatever may come this fall and winter,” she added.
“Suppressing disease activity throughout the summer will continue to buy time for research and innovation on medical therapies and vaccine development. I know this may not be the grand reopening we might have liked but we won’t get through this on hope alone.”
Tam also advised people to keep their social circles small because “small bubbles of core contacts are better than big.”
She said that wearing a mask — which more and more Canadians are doing — means “I’m protecting you and you’re protecting me.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, for his part, said “in situations where I’m either walking through the halls of Parliament or going to my office and coming in proximity to people, I’ve chosen to start wearing a mask.”
At Queen’s Park, Premier Doug Ford told reporters he wears a mask when he is out in public and cannot keep a safe social distance from others.
Ford added that the government is taking the advice of Dr. David Williams, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health.
Williams said masks will become increasingly important and people should get in the habit.
“As you get more and more people out, it may be more and more difficult to avoid a lot of close contact with people,” the doctor said.
Green Leader Mike Schreiner said Ontarians should have released the mask advice “before they started returning to work and congregating more in public” as the economy began reopening on Tuesday.
Health Minister Christine Elliot said Ontarians should cover their faces while riding public transit or when shopping in small shops in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
But Elliott emphasized that cloth masks should be used, noting medical masks — such as surgical or N95 gear — must be saved for health-care workers and first responders.
She added that face coverings should not be used by children under the age of two or anyone who has trouble breathing or who would be unable to remove it without help.
“If you need a face covering, it is critically important people wear one that is appropriate for the situation,” she said.
“Those taking transit or going out who can’t physically distance should wear non-medical grade cloth masks.”
To protect commuters, the Ministry of Health is recommending transit authorities admit fewer passengers to buses and streetcars and use physical markers between seats to keep riders two metres apart.
As well, the TTC and other agencies should ensure alcohol-based hand sanitizer is available upon entry to and exit from a vehicle.
There should also be enhanced cleaning of trains, buses, and streetcars and more Plexiglas shields to protect drivers.
Also Wednesday, Ford reiterated that Ontario’s ban on gatherings of more than five people who do not reside under the same roof will continue.
“I strongly urge everyone to continue following the public health advice, such as physical distancing and restricting gatherings to five people or less. Although we are making progress, COVID-19 is still a risk that we must guard against. Please stay safe and protect yourself and others.”
The City of Toronto followed up later in the day, strongly recommending to residents that they wear face coverings or non-medical masks when physical distancing cannot be maintained.
Mayor John Tory said the city is in the process of procuring 100,000 re-usable cloth masks for staff, which he expects them to wear to protect the public, including when they are on their way to work on public transit.
Tory said he’s heard some men saying they won’t wear one because it implies weakness.
“Nothing could be further from the truth. By covering your face you are making sure that you do everything possible that you can do to protect your family, your friends, your neighbours,” Tory said.
“This is a sign of strength, not of weakness.”
MASKS from A1