SYDNEY — Non-medical masks will be mandatory in most indoor public places in Nova Scotia as of Friday and people are scrambling in preparation.
“Yes we are out today buying masks,” said Brenda Boutilier of Glace Bay, with her daughter Ashley Boutilier, an emergency room nurse in Halifax, at Emerald Isle on Welton Street in Sydney on Monday.
Brenda said she doesn’t mind wearing one and has always carried one with her.
“When I felt the need I would put it on,” she said, adding she’s preparing for the mandatory directive.
Wayne Dufour of Sydney, out walking with friend Kevin Villa, also of Sydney, has had a face mask since the start of the pandemic in March.
“A friend of mine made some and had one left and gave it to me.”
Dufour said he often wears it when in areas of the community around people he doesn’t know.
Villa doesn’t have one yet but said he would be getting one before Friday and doesn’t mind wearing one.
“If you’ve got to do it, you’ve got to do it.”
Gloria Jessome of Alder Point, at the Mayflower Mall in Sydney on Monday, said she has been for face masks and had them since Day 1.
“There’s people out there whose health is compromised, not strong enough to fight it, and I don’t want to give it to them,” she said. “It’s for protecting children and older people.”
Rita Deveau of Cheticamp, also at the mall, said she has always carried a non-medical mask in her purse.
“I wore it to church Sunday, I wore it to the hairdresser, and as of Friday wherever I’m supposed to have it, I’ll have it. We’ve got to protect ourselves and protect you.”
STRANG: FACE SHIELDS CANNOT REPLACE MASKS
On July 17, Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Robert Strang announced wearing a non-medical mask in most indoor public places is a key part of how we protect each other from COVID-19, and starting Friday, July 31, it will be mandatory.
“We encourage all Nova Scotians to use traditional, non-medical masks,” Strang said. “There are many local suppliers making and selling masks, and while prices vary, some are quite economical.”
Strang said they are also looking at ways to ensure people are able to access a mask regardless of their situation.
Face shields cannot be worn instead of a non-medical mask.
“This is because a face shield protects the wearer’s eyes, but it does not protect other people if the wearer coughs or sneezes,” Strang explained. “A face shield and mask can be worn together, but most Nova Scotians are not going to be in situations that warrant wearing both.”
Strang said it’s important to note that you don’t need to buy a mask, non-medical masks can easily be made with a bandana or similar piece of cloth folded in at least three layers of fabric. The Public Health Agency of Canada offers sewing and non-sewing instructions on how to make them on its website.
Face masks are only part of the package of personal protective measures. Strang reminds Nova Scotians to stay home if you feel unwell, wash or sanitize your hands often, use proper cough and sneeze etiquette, physically distance as much as possible, avoid touching your face, mouth, nose and eyes, limit the number of people you get together with, and clean high-touch surfaces and objects frequently.
NON-MEDICAL MASKS AVAILABLE
For anyone still searching for non-medical masks, stores throughout the Cape Breton Regional Municipality still have all kinds, including everyone we checked with: Shopper’s Drug Mart, Wilson’s Home Hardware and Emerald Isle in Sydney, the Bargain Shop in Glace Bay, Pharmasave in Membertou and Pay less Dollar Deals on Commercial Street in North Sydney.
Natalie Magliaro, owner of Emerald Isle located on Welton Street in Sydney and in the Mayflower Mall, said they have reusable fabric masks for the entire family and have been steadily selling them since March.
“A lot of people started adapting to the idea of wearing one to protect others,” she said.
After the announcement non-medical masks would be mandatory, Magliaro said they did get busier selling them, as now the entire family has to wear them including children.
However, they are prepared. Seeing what was going on in the world they actually began ordering face masks upwards of a year ago.
“We were at international trade shows and everyone was masked then,” Magliaro said. “We anticipated this happening because we were watching it happen elsewhere.”
Magliaro said people want reusable face masks as they are easily washed and can be purchased to fit anyone, where disposable ones don’t always fit. Their staff have personally tried all their types of masks so are familiar with all the features and the best ones for fitness, for people who wear glasses, for people with breathing problems or for children.
“We know how it fits, how it washes and how it wears,” she said. “So you’re getting that feedback from people who have worn them all eight hours at a time.”
Marlene Gavel, front store lead at Pharmasave in Membertou, said non-medical face masks were unavailable at the beginning of the pandemic and then many become available through different companies.
“Now companies are experiencing shortages again with the announcement of masks mandatory in (indoor) public places,” she said.
Gavel said they’ve been busier selling masks since the announcement and are currently out of fabric ones but do have non-medical ones available with the nose piece incorporated in them ranging anywhere from three packs right up to ten-packs.
“A lot of people do reuse them but the proper technique is they are disposable,” she said.
“Once you wear them, take them off, you’ve already touched them, they are already contaminated, they are not washable.”
