Wear masks in crowded places to combat coronavirus, World Health Organisation finally advises the public
- WHO recommends expanded use of face masks after five months of debate
- Conclusion supports early adoption of protective equipment in Asian centres such as Hong Kong
After more than five months of the coronavirus pandemic, the World Health Organisation is advising the public to wear masks on public transport and in crowded areas.
The change was announced as the WHO issued a new set of detailed guidelines on the use of masks.
“In light of evolving evidence, WHO advises that governments should encourage the general public to wear masks where there is widespread transmission and physical distancing is difficult, such as on public transport, in shops or in other confined or crowded environments,” WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a news conference on Friday.
The new guidelines said that vulnerable groups such as the elderly and people with jobs that interacted with the public, such as social workers and cashiers, should wear masks.
Until April, WHO, the United Nations health agency, had been advising policymakers and the public that only coronavirus patients, health workers and carers should wear masks.