As increased rates of community transmission of COVID-19 continue in many areas across Canada, and as new variants of the COVID-19 virus are identified, it remains important that you wear a non-medical mask when: (1) you’re in a shared space (indoors or outdoors) with people from outside of your immediate household and (2) advised by your local public health authority.

Government of Canada

Although all efforts should be made to preserve the supply of medical masks for healthcare settings, there may be some non-healthcare workplaces in which a medical mask may be a more appropriate choice for the protection of the worker, for example, providing services to a client who cannot wear a non-medical mask or face covering when the two-metre physical distance cannot be maintained, and measures such as plexiglass/transparent barriers are not possible or available.

Pan-Canadian Public Health Network

Three of 14 jurisdictions (Austria, France and Germany) that made changes to public masking policies are currently requiring or recommending a medical mask or equivalent. The reported rationale is based on filter efficiency and fitting characteristics of the recommended medical masks and respirators compared to non-medical masks.

Public Health Ontario