[Source: Griffin Wooldridge/Unsplash via RNZ]

The rules for mask-wearing are about to change and things like a bandana or t-shirt across the face will no longer count as a mask.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said under the red setting, masks must now be worn at food and drink businesses, close proximity businesses, events and gatherings.

The same exceptions for when people are eating, drinking, or exercising still apply.

Workers mandated to be vaccinated will have to wear a medical-grade mask when working in public-facing roles, which includes blue medical-grade masks.

University of Canterbury associate professor of epidemiology Arindam Basu says this is a welcomed move.

“The thing that will need to go with it is that there needs to be a bit more education and instruction … in how to wear the mask.”

A mask that is tightly fitted to the face is better than a cloth mask, he said.

University of Otago Wellington senior public health researcher Dr Lucy Telfar-Barnard said N95 and P2 were the best options because blue surgical masks were more likely to have leakage around the edges.

“I absolutely recommend them, if people are able to access them. I know that they’re in short supply at the moment.”

In the meantime, there are various ways of improving the fit of a blue surgical mask, Telfar-Barnard said.

“If you’ve got a lightweight cloth mask that fits you well you can wear that over the top, or you can use that blue mask cut down to use as a filter in a filter pocket in a cloth mask that fits well.

“You can use a mask brace – there are various arrangements of elastic bands or cut silicon that you can fit over your head. That will hold that close to the face and create that seal all around the cheeks and chin, as well as using the nose wire to make sure it fits well around the nose.”