Roel Coutinho, former director of the RIVM, also supports the advice.
Neighboring countries
The Red team does not comment on how mouth masks should be used to contain the virus. They do point to our neighboring countries, where masks are mandatory in shops and restaurants. They particularly mention the public space where keeping a distance is not possible.
“Mouth-nose masks dampen the spread and have an important signaling function: properties that matter now”, they write among others.
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Until now, the Netherlands has been very reluctant to make mouth masks mandatory. They are only compulsory in public transport, and large cities such as Amsterdam and Rotterdam briefly introduced a mandatory mask in busy places.
Holding back
The RIVM has always been cautious about recommending mouth masks, because on the one hand there would be no conclusive evidence that they are effective and on the other hand would lead to false safety: those who wear a mouth mask might be less able to adhere to other rules.
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