CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — P.E.I.'s chief public health officer Dr. Heather Morrison says clear guidelines for wearing cloth face masks in public will be part of the province’s plans for easing back physical distancing restrictions brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.
Morrison has not explicitly recommended the use of cloth face masks in public. Like other chief public health officers in Canada, she has, instead, emphasized that physical distancing is the most effective means of limiting the spread of the coronavirus.
During a media briefing on Monday, Morrison did not suggest the province would make the wearing of cloth masks a requirement as it eases back restrictions on public activities. But plans for easing physical distancing restrictions announced Friday in New Brunswick did include requirements around wearing face masks in public, along with continued physical distancing.
"In most places it's not a requirement, it's a consideration to wear cloth masks. And it also depends on the circumstances," Morrison said.
"They would be considered in circumstances where you may need to be closer than six feet for a period of time, such as on public transit, on a bus. But we think it's important that people understand the details around that, so we are going to be making that available."
There have been no new cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19 strain) reported in P.E.I. in 12 days. The number of cases remains at 26.
Morrison has said non-medical cloth face masks can help individuals minimize the risk of spreading the virus but has also said masks do not offer significant protection from the virus.
“Masks may give a person a false sense of security and are likely to increase the number of times a person will touch one's own face,” says a COVID-19 frequently asked questions section on the Department of Health and Wellness website.
Some have criticized public health officials in Canada, saying messages like these downplay the potential for home-made masks to limit transmission of the virus.
The websites for both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the Public Health Agency of Canada contain instructions for constructing homemade cloth masks.
There is some evidence that the use of cloth masks is lower in P.E.I. than other Canadian provinces. A survey conducted by Narrative Research found that P.E.I. residents were far less likely to wear cloth face masks or gloves in public than others in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia or Newfoundland. While the survey found that 52 per cent of Atlantic Canadians reported wearing masks or gloves in public, only 33 per cent of P.E.I. residents reported doing so in public.
Morrison said each province has had different experiences related to community transmission of the virus. P.E.I. has so far seen no known cases of the virus that have been spread through community transmission.
The governments of New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and Ontario have released details of their plans to ease public health restrictions. P.E.I. Premier Dennis King has said the province will begin easing some restrictions on May 1, but government has yet to release further details.
