I thought this would be a good time to remind people about masks, mask wearing, face shields and hand washing. So here is a repost from my original  #2453951 (3-Apr-2020). I have updated this post to take into account the latest science since January 2020 concerning COVID.

THE USE OF MASK and GLOVES

This a more detailed follow-on from an earlier post I made on the 1st March 2020 #2429583

The following I have plagiarised from several articles including my own 30 year old nursing library.

COVID-19 is spread mainly in the air in droplet form BUT there is now verified evidence that it is also spread through atomisation during normal speaking and breathing. The Delta variant is way more virulent and contagious than the original Alpha strain. The science of COVID-19 has been well discussed in other posts in this topic so I wont rehash them in this post.

THE USE OF FACE MASKS

How to put on a face mask
 1. Clean your hands with soap and water or hand sanitiser before touching the mask.
 2. Remove a mask from the box and make sure there are no obvious tears or holes in either side of the mask.
 3. Determine which side of the mask is the top. The side of the mask that has a stiff bendable edge is the top and is meant to mould to the shape of your nose.
 4. Determine which side of the mask is the front. The coloured side of the mask is usually the front and should face away from you, while the white side touches your face. (blue side out and soft white side in [Thanks @sbiddle  #2762972])
 5. Follow the instructions below for the type of mask you are using.
 ◦ Face Mask with Ear loops: Hold the mask by the ear loops. Place a loop around each ear.
 ◦ Face Mask with Ties: Bring the mask to your nose level and place the ties over the crown of your head and secure with a bow.
 ◦ Face Mask with Bands: Hold the mask in your hand with the nosepiece or top of the mask at fingertips, allowing the headbands to hang freely below hands.  Bring the mask to your nose level and pull the top strap over your head so that it rests over the crown of your head.  Pull the bottom strap over your head so that it rests at the nape of your neck.
 6. Mould or pinch the stiff edge to the shape of your nose.
 7. If using a face mask with ties: Then take the bottom ties, one in each hand, and secure with a bow at the nape of your neck.
 8. Pull the bottom of the mask over your mouth and chin.

How to remove a face mask
 1. Clean your hands with soap and water or hand sanitiser before touching the mask. Avoid touching the front of the mask. The front of the mask is contaminated. Only touch the ear loops/ties/band. Follow the instructions below for the type of mask you are using.
 2. Face Mask with Ear loops: Hold both of the ear loops and gently lift and remove the mask.
 3. Face Mask with Ties: Untie the bottom bow first then untie the top bow and pull the mask away from you as the ties are loosened.
 4. Face Mask with Bands: Lift the bottom strap over your head first then pull the top strap over your head.
 5. Throw the mask in the trash or designated disposal receptacle. Clean your hands with soap and water or hand sanitiser.

NOTE: Any cloth or paper based mask should be discarded safely and responsibly after use and under no circumstances should it be used for longer than a day. Replace the mask immediately if it is damaged, very moist or soiled.

NOTE: Practice this at home, at length. Learn how to put on the mask, take off the mask, and importantly, how to act while wearing the mask. Any mask that performs serious amounts of filtering can be quite difficult to breathe through, so you need to get used to what it's like to have your breathing impeded for 30, 60, 90 minutes at a time. You also need to find out what you can and can't do while wearing a mask, e.g. engaging in strenuous activity will be a no-no, so you need to calibrate how far you can go at home before you need to apply it in practice. (Thanks to @neb)

Disposing of Face Masks

Today's paper disposable face masks can be recycled and there is a company in NZ doing just that. My advise would be to collect them and place them in a see through plastic bag and when you find a Mask Bin (few and far at the moment) dispose of in that bin. I do not know about local councils and their recycling procedures so check with your local council. Otherwise dispose of in a sealed bag in your general rubbish.

Washing of Reusable Face Masks

We wash our reusable face masks in a solution of Softly Laundry detergent and warm to hot water. We soak over night, rinse and hang out to dry. We have two cloth masks each which we rotate through daily.

Thanks to @MikeB4 for the above to paragraphs.

THE USE OF GLOVES

The virus that causes COVID-19 is mainly spread from person to person through respiratory droplets and atomised mist when an infected person; breaths out, coughs or sneezes. And that happens when people are within 2 meters of one another. (with the 2 meter guide, this is contentious due to atomisation where the particles can float in the air for some time) The other way you can get the virus is from contaminated surfaces. So whenever you touch a surface with the virus on it and then touch your mouth, nose or eyes, you’ve possibly exposed yourself to the virus. However, the U.S. Centres for Disease Control says this doesn’t appear to be the main way that the virus is spread. This is dependant on how long the virus has been on the surface and the type of surface. It also, not proven, may depend on climatic conditions at that time.
 
Gloves = false sense of security?
 
Thoroughly washing your hands for at least 20 seconds remains the best defence against COVID-19. But when you go to the grocer or supermarket or other public places, you may not have access to soap and water, hand sanitiser or wipes to clean grocery trolleys. That’s why some people are wearing gloves. But wearing gloves can give you a false sense of security. Because the virus adheres well to latex and other types of gloves, if you touch your face at any point, you’ve still potentially exposed yourself to the virus.
 
Proper glove use is key
 
Many people don’t know the proper way to take off gloves and can contaminate their hands when taking off gloves. For example, after you take off your left glove with your right gloved hand, your left hand is at that point virus free. But if you take off your right glove by touching the outside of it, you’ve potentially contaminated your left hand.

You need to reach inside your right glove and peel it inside out without touching the outside, which can take some skill.
 
Not touching anything =  No need for gloves
 
NOTE: Another thing is that if you’re going for a walk and staying at least 2 meters from people, there’s no need to wear gloves—the virus that causes COVID-19 is only absorbed through mucous membranes, not your hands.
 
NOTE: If you already have gloves and wearing them in highly public places like stores and public transportation helps calm your nerves, go ahead and slide a pair on. Keep in mind that you can only use them once and need to properly take them off and immediately dispose of them. Try not to touch your face with them, and wash your hands after taking them off.

HAND SANITISER

Always carry a small pocket sized bottle of hand sanitiser with you and use it. Have it in your pocket, in your purse, in your car, in the stroller, in your bag and in the house by the front door. You should choose an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol. Preferable scent free.

1 - Squirt a dollop of liquid into palm of your hand
2 - Rub both hands together, rotating your hands around each other top and palm sides and sliding your fingers through each other
3 - carry on rubbing till they feel dry - about 20-30 seconds
4 - Do NOT rinse or wipe off the hand sanitizer before it’s dry. That will lessen its effectiveness.
5 - When you are able to, it is also advisable to wash your hands in soap and water and then use a neutral pH hand cream to re-moisturise. These sanitisers can be quite harsh on your hands.

THE USE OF FACE SHIELDS

If you need to wear a face shield then you should not be where you are. Though having said that I noticed that my local pharmacist was wearing one. But he was also 2 meters away from where I was standing.

Social Distancing and Wearing a Face Mask and thoroughly washing your hands for at least 20 seconds remains the best defence against COVID-19. Staying at home if you have the slightest inkling you may be ill, then you must ensure you phone the COVID-19 health advice and information Healthline team (for free) on 0800 358 5453 or +64 9 358 5453

EDITORIAL: Previous addendum thanks to NEB and MikeB4 and sbiddle and my update for today's science and advise