COVID-19 Face Masks
The National Department of Health has recommended that everyone should wear a cloth face mask (with at least three layers of cloth) to cover the nose and mouth when going out in public.
Why should you wear a cloth face mask?
The main benefit of everyone wearing a face mask is to reduce the amount of coronavirus or influenza virus droplets that come out of the mouth or nose of an infected person during speaking, coughing and sneezing. Since some people with coronavirus may not have symptoms or may not know they have it, a face mask will protect people around you if you are infected.
Making your own cloth face mask
Click here to learn how to make your own cloth mask.
How to put on, use and remove the mask
| – | Before putting on a mask, clean your hands with alcohol-based sanitiser or soap and water |
| – | Cover mouth and nose completely with mask and make sure there are no gaps between your face and the mask |
| – | Avoid touching the mask while using it. If you do, clean hands immediately with alcohol-based sanitiser or soap and water |
| – | Do not lower the mask when speaking, coughing or sneezing |
| – | To remove the mask: remove it from behind (do not touch the inside of the mask); be careful not to touch your eyes, nose, and mouth when removing the mask; clean your hands immediately after removing the mask with alcohol-based sanitiser or soap and water |
| – | Wash the mask with warm soapy water immediately and wash your hands again. |
Do not
| – | Share your mask with anybody else. It is preferable to have two masks so they can be interchanged during washes. |
| – | Use N-95 and surgical masks; medical masks remain reserved only for healthcare workers. |
| – | Use for children under two years old. |
| – | Use on anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or unable to remove the mask without assistance. |
Even when wearing a mask, other preventative measures like hand-washing and social distancing remain crucial in reducing the spread of Covid-19.