Government calls on Canadians to wear three-layer masks

A woman wearing a face covering looks at masks displayed in the window of a shop in Toronto, Canada, on Nov. 3, 2020. As of Tuesday afternoon, Canada reported a total of 244,636 COVID-19 cases and 10,276 deaths, according to CTV. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua)

OTTAWA, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- The Public Health Agency of Canada on Tuesday urged Canadians to wear face masks that are made of three layers including a filter.

At Tuesday's press conference in Ottawa, Canada's Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam said that adding a filter layer to masks will provide Canadians with extra protection against COVID-19.

Tam said that masks with a filter will help trap small infectious particles and further protect against COVID-19 as degree of protection varies based on the construction, materials, and particularly the fit of non-medical masks.

"I keep emphasizing that fit is one of the most important things," she said. "It fits around your mouth, on your nose, and it has to cover your mouth and nose. So that's really important."

When buying new face masks in the future, Tam said Canadians should look for those made with these three layers.

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, a non-medical mask should be made of at least three layers, two of which should be tightly woven material fabric, such as cotton or linen. The third of middle layer should be a filter-type fabric, such as non-woven polypropylene fabric.

The new recommendation on face masks comes after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned early Tuesday that the window to control the second wave of the pandemic is "closing fast" as Canada's cases continue to surge.

Trudeau re-called on Canadians on Tuesday to limit their contacts to what is absolutely essential, wear a face mask and practice good hand hygiene to help control increasing cases of COVID-19.

"We have to work together right now to beat the second wave. It won't be easy, but I know we can do it," Trudeau said.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Canada reported a total of 244,636 COVID-19 cases and 10,276 deaths, according to CTV.