It will not be mandatory to wear a mask in public spaces, at least that’s what sources in The Hague have said to the NOS. The cabinet will probably announce this tomorrow. But it may become possible for mayors to introduce and enforce the use of face masks on a small scale, locally.
Today the Outbreak Management Team (OMT) came together to form some new advice on the effect of wearing nose and mouth coverings in public spaces in order to counter the spread of coronavirus in the Netherlands. Apparently, also after the new coronavirus numbers came in today; they’ve decided it isn’t necessary.
Therefore the government sees no reason to tighten the use of mouth masks. Face masks are now mandatory in public transport because travelers cannot keep a sufficient distance from each other.
Face masks policies might differ from city to city
The Safety Council will meet tomorrow in Utrecht, in which there are 25 Dutch safety regions represented. One of the cabinet ministers will also be there and the final corona measures will be discussed.
The public administrators hope to take measures at the regional level. The mayors of Amsterdam and Rotterdam, for example, want to be able to introduce a mouth mask obligation in their city. The OMT advice on face masks will be on the table at the Safety Council.
There has been discussion for some time now if whether a face mask should be mandatory on a national level. The cabinet has always maintained that this is not necessary, following the advice of the Outbreak Management Team. According to the cabinet, mouth masks would provide false safety.
Parliament wanted the Outbreak Management Team to issue new advice on Thursday because new insights in science would have changed the situation. The cabinet then asked the OMT to look into this.
Aura Timen of the OMT said earlier today that the advice would come “in a few days”. She did not want to say anything about the content of that advice.
Do you think face masks should be mandatory? Or should people simply obey the rules that already exist? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Featured Image: Still press conference Rutte
Mask should be compulsory.
Yes!