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Dr Noor Hisham: Masks to stay on for now

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will need more time before deciding to go the way of Singapore and scrap the mask mandate in most indoor settings.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah told the New Straits Times that the country was not prepared to cast off the pandemic-era curb often regarded as the frontline in the defence against the airborne SARS-CoV-2.

"No, not yet. It is status quo at the moment," he said when asked about the nation's preparedness and relevant indicators to remove the shield.

Earlier, Dr Noor Hisham said: "We (will) continue to comply to public health measures like wearing a mask in confined spaces or crowded areas with poor ventilation. We are all advised to clean our hands frequently and keep a physical distance if possible."

On Sunday in his annual National Day Rally speech, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that masks would soon be required only on public transport, where people are in prolonged close contact in a crowded space and in healthcare settings such as clinics, hospitals and residential and nursing homes where there are vulnerable people.

He however did not state or hinted when the mandate would be dropped.

Outdoor usage of facemasks stopped being mandatory in Malaysia as of May 1.

The Health Ministry however encouraged the public to use their masks outdoors, especially when in crowded spaces.

Individuals who were symptomatic with fever, cough and flu; high-risk individuals; and when conducting activities with high-risk individuals such as the elderly and children were particularly told to keep their masks on.

In early July, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin however warned the public that he would likely reintroduce compounds on those who fail to wear face masks in closed spaces if Covid-19 cases continue to spike.

He said the ministry officials had observed that people had become lackadaisical to wearing mask indoors, which was still compulsory.

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