Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —
Minister of Health Singapore, Ong Ye Kung said the use of masks will be the main key after entering the new normal era of living together Covid-19.
In an exclusive interview with The Straits TimesOng said that masks were the most effective way to reduce the spread of Covid-19.
According to him, the lifting of the use of masks will be the last policy that will be taken when Singapore has made peace with the corona.
“(The wearing of masks) may be one of the last things we consider removing. And, even if we do remove it, it may only be for safe environments, such as open areas,” said Ong, Thursday (1/7).
He was referring to Israel which recently re-asked its citizens to wear masks indoors after a spike in Covid-19 cases.
“Masks will allow us to do a lot more, compared to not wearing masks in terms of risk, it’s one of the most sensible things to do.”
The requirement to wear a mask has become the latest restrictive measure in Israel as all other Covid-19 measures have been gradually eased.
Naftali Bennett’s country has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, with more than 59 percent of its population having been vaccinated.
Israel then reimposed the requirement after recording more than 100 new daily cases for consecutive days. Most of the cases are thought to be due to the Delta variant.
Whereas last June, there were no reports of new Covid-19 cases in the country.
World Health Organization (WHO) officials also urged people who have been fully vaccinated to continue to wear masks and adhere to health protocols to prevent infection.
Although, vaccination is considered very effective in preventing severe disease and reducing mortality, it is not yet known to what extent the vaccine is able to protect against mild or asymptomatic infections.
Health officials in Los Angeles County are also recommending that everyone wear a mask indoors and in public to prevent the spread of COVID-19, whether or not they have been vaccinated.
The recommendations came after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) allowed fully vaccinated residents to no longer need to wear masks indoors or maintain a distance of about 2 meters from other people.
(isa/dea)
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