Masks and Face Coverings

Qualities of a good mask

• Fits well. Completely covers your nose, mouth and chin. Fits snugly against the sides of your face with no gaps. A nose bridge wire can help to prevent air from leaking out of the top of the mask.
• Filters air well. When breathing, air moves through the mask and not around it.
• Can be worn comfortably and is easy to breathe through for long periods of time.
• A well fitted medical mask or a respirator (N95, KN95) may provide better protection for you and others but cloth masks are generally more comfortable to wear for longer periods.

For more information visit:

Optimizing the Use of Masks Against COVID-19

COVID-19 mask use: Types of masks and respirators - Canada.ca

COVID-19 mask use: How to make your mask fit properly - Canada.ca

COVID-19 mask use: How to choose, use and care for a mask - Canada.ca

COVID-19 mask use: Advice for community settings - Canada.ca

Face coverings and face masks | Ontario.ca

As of March 21, 2022, you must wear a mask in the following indoor spaces:

• public transit, including indoor areas and vehicles. This does not include businesses or organizations that provide sightseeing or touring services;
• health care settings, including hospitals, psychiatric facilities, doctors’ offices, immunization clinics, laboratories and specimen collection centres;
• home and community care provider locations only if you are an employee or contractor;
• long-term care and retirement homes;
• shelters and other congregate care settings that provide care and services to medically and socially vulnerable individuals.

Read O. Reg 364/20 for a complete list of settings where you must wear a mask.

Regardless of where you are, you are encouraged to wear a tight-fitting, well constructed mask if you feel it is the right choice for you. 

Businesses and organizations may also choose to implement their own rules related to masking.

To help stop the spread of COVID-19, you should wear a mask at all times when outside your home in public spaces (including school and child care, unless under 2 years of age), when:

• you are recovering from COVID-19 or symptoms of COVID-19
• you are a close contact of someone with COVID-19 or symptoms of COVID-19

For more information on masking rules and guidelines, visit this link.

Masks for occupational health purposes, including health care settings, may differ from those for the general public.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is a garment or device worn by health care workers to protect themselves from infection when they:

• are in close contact with people who are infected
• can’t maintain a safe physical distance
• do not have access to a physical barrier

The type of PPE you need depends on the type of health care work you do.

Learn more about Public Health Ontario’s PPE recommendations in health care facilities.

If you are a business or health care organization and you need PPE, you can find a company or business association that supplies personal protective equipment.