Should the wearing of face mask be made compulsory?

THE government announced that the wearing of a face mask in crowded public places would be mandatory starting August 1.

Background

The wearing of face mask is made compulsory in crowded public places such as public transportation (buses, trains, LRT, taxi and e-hailing vehicles), markets, including farmers' markets, night markets, supermarkets, tourist areas and cinemas, said Senior Minister (Security Cluster), Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

The use of a face mask is not compulsory in private vehicles or during physical activities.

Children aged two years and below are also exempted from the mandatory rule.

Individuals who disobeyed the rule will face a fine of RM1,000.

The police have issued compounds to 209 individuals on Sunday (2 Aug) for violating rules of the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO).

Why should you care?

The use of a face mask has long been explored as a preventive measure during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The face mask is crucial as it prevents the spread of COVID-19 infection by providing a protective barrier against airborne germs or virus when a person coughs, sneezes or even talks.

Countries such as Venezuela, Vietnam, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Colombia, the United Arab Emirates, Cuba, Austria, Israel, Argentina, Poland have all made the use of face masks mandatory in public places, some as early as April.

Health director-general, Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah has warned the public that Malaysia will likely face a third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic if self-compliance towards the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is not observed.

With the emergence of new clusters, one identified in Kedah (Sivagangga, India cluster) and the other in Sarawak (Satok cluster), a third wave is predicted to be far worse if Malaysians continue to flout the government’s ruling during the RMCO.

Aside from the face mask rule and the general practice of social distancing, the government will also be focusing on contact tracing, especially after it was made aware of cases where people disobeyed their quarantine orders.

The use of MySejahtera app will now be made mandatory for business outlets.