Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer set the record straight on Wednesday, officially recommending the use of non-medical face masks, or facial coverings when physical distancing is not possible.
The past few months have seen Health Canada’s stand on non-medical mask-use go back and forth on its effectiveness. For the spring and summer months, Dr. Theresa Tam said strict adherence to the public health basics of physical distancing, hand-washing, and cough etiquette must continue as a bare minimum.
She said if Canadians can maintain these measures to the best of their ability, public health will get more lead time to be prepared for whatever the next few months may bring.
Tam said the federal government will be posting updated federal, provincial, and territorial COVID-19 Special Advisory Committee recommendations later in the day Wednesday.