B.C.’s provincial health officer says non-medical masks are fine to wear, but “not an alternative to the things we know work” to stop the spread of COVID-19, such as physical distancing and washing hands.
Dr. Bonnie Henry made the comments Monday after Dr. Theresa Tam, the country’s chief medical health officer, said Canadians who aren’t showing symptoms of the virus can wear the masks as “an additional measure” to protect others during the pandemic.
Tam said that there was growing evidence that people can transmit the virus before they realize they have it. But Henry said while wearing a mask may prevent someone from giving COVID-19 to others, masks will not stop the wearer from contracting the disease.