Government will no longer discourage wearing of masks, to give reusable masks to all households

SINGAPORE - The Government will no longer discourage people who are well from wearing masks, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Friday (April 3).

This is in line with the World Health Organisation's review of its stance on the issue of face masks, he said.

"We now think there are some cases out there in the community going undetected, though probably still not that many," Mr Lee added.

"We also now have evidence that an infected person can show no symptoms, and yet still pass on the virus to others... Therefore, we will no longer discourage people from wearing masks."

He said wearing a mask may help to protect others, in case a person has the virus but does not know it.

Hence, the Government will distribute reusable masks to all households from Sunday. Surgical masks will still be conserved for people who really need it, such as healthcare workers.

"But remember, mask or no mask, you still need to wash your hands, and keep a safe distance away from other people," Mr Lee added.

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.