With variant strains of COVID-19 circulating throughout Summit County, public health officials are recommending that people “double mask.”

At a Board of Health meeting on Thursday, Feb. 11, Public Health Director Amy Wineland said the county will be updating its COVID-19 recommendations to be in line with the Centers for Disease Control’s guidelines that people wear two masks at once.

Wineland described the recommendation as the “gold standard” for mask wearing. She said the most important thing is to ensure that everyone is wearing their mask, whether it’s one or two, correctly.

“The two important ways to make sure your mask works best is, number one, making sure it has a good fit, that it’s snugly against your face,” she said. “Even the surgical masks that we see have gaps on the side and maybe on the top where air can escape and get in. So that’s what we’re trying to prevent.”

She added that if people don’t want to wear two masks at once they can look for masks with multiple layers, which further prevent the spread of the virus.

“One way to do that can be to wear one disposable mask underneath a cloth mask and that can be more protective,” she said. ”You can also make a double loop around your ears and that creates a tighter fit.“

People can find advice on wearing masks by visiting the county’s coronavirus webpage, SummitCountyCO.gov/coronavirus.