DG stands firm - Don't wear masks unless you need to, prioritise frontliners
CORONAVIRUS | Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah remained firm that face masks should be reserved for those working at the frontline to battle the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Please do not use the mask unless you have to. The mask and PPE (personal protective equipment) should be reserved for the frontline workers,” he told Malaysiakini this afternoon...
CORONAVIRUS | Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah remained firm that face masks should be reserved for those working at the frontline to battle the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Please do not use the mask unless you have to. The mask and PPE (personal protective equipment) should be reserved for the frontline workers,” he told Malaysiakini this afternoon.
"That is our first priority, more so when we are running short of PPE now," he said, adding that the Health Ministry has placed an order for more PPE.
As for the public, Hisham (above) reiterated the government's advice on how to minimise the risk of infection.
"Stay safe and stay at home. (Practice) social distancing and wash your hands," he said.
When asked again by reporters later during at the ministry's daily press conference, he said the World Health Organisation said members of the public should only wear a mask only when sick or taking care of a Covid-19 patient.
Healthcare workers too should wear a mask.
"But generally, social distancing is more than enough. It is not necessary for you to wear the mask, but some of us overdo it despite the advisory being given, he said.
In a bid to curb the spread of the virus, which has claimed 11 lives in Malaysia so far, the government imposed a movement control order until March 31.
However, since the public's compliance rate was low, the army had to be deployed to assist the police.
Read more: Are face masks mandatory? Public in dilemma over conflicting instructions
In a statement today, the armed forces said that some 10 percent or three million Malaysians are violating the order.
Malaysiakini contacted Hisham on whether the public should wear face masks when buying groceries or attending to urgent matters.
Several agencies have issued their own directives with regard to face masks, including the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).
DBKL has made it compulsory to wear masks at supermarkets, grocery stores, restaurants and markets under its jurisdiction.
The National Security Council (NSC), which is the main authority that enforces the control order, also issued similar guidelines on March 20, saying the public is advised to practice certain ethics when visiting supermarkets, which included wearing masks.
Quizzed on the contradicting guidelines, Hisham replied: "That is our advisory from MOH (do not wear masks unless you have to) but many want to do more than what we advise."
Keep up with the latest information on the outbreak in the country with Malaysiakini's free Covid-19 tracker.
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