Saskatchewan NDP Leader Ryan Meili is asking people to start wearing cloth masks when they go out in public, while continuing to stay home as much as possible.

“Saskatchewan people are staying home as much as they can. But every day, essential workers are going to work. Every day thousands of people are going to pharmacies, grocery stores, medical appointments, their jobs. Because they have to. Which is why we have to use every measure available to protect people,” said Meili.

Meili says with U.S. President Donald Trump banning the exports of masks, it is important for people to not use masks that could otherwise be used by medical personnel.

He adds that wearing a mask is not a substitute for social distancing, and that must still be practiced as much as possible.

Meili has uploaded videos to his YouTube page showing how to make a mask.