Mask advice not enough: 71% want national mask duty

The vast majority of Dutch people do not believe the current ‘urgent advice’ to wear masks in public places is enough. 71% of the population want it to be a duty, and 40% want this to apply to the streets as well.

In last week’s press conference, Prime Minister Rutte announced the urgent advice to wear face masks in all indoor public spaces. However, this was not made a duty because the cabinet claims this is legally difficult, meaning that those not wearing masks cannot be fined. There is currently no majority in the House of Representatives to make masks mandatory, reports RTL Nieuws.

Demographics demanding the duty

The Dutch population are pretty much on the same page when it comes to this issue, as people of all ages are calling for the mask obligation. Of those between 18 and 34 years old, 67% are in favour of mandatory masks. A massive 81% of Dutch people over 65 want them too. The difference between men and women is a meagre 2%. This is according to a study by DVJ Insights commissioned by RTL Nieuws.

Vague rules and regulations

Many of the study’s respondents believe the advice around mouth masks is incredibly vague (79%). Regarding how many people can be together, 51% of respondents said the rules were confusing and unclear.

The 1.5-metre distance rule and hygene recommendations are better understood, but around 30% find the rule about staying at home if you have complaints unclear. Many admitted that they do not adhere to the 1.5-metre distance rule at all (42%) and others said they do not follow the advice about wearing mouth masks (38%).

Most Dutch people do not want separate rules for different age groups, as only 37% want the elderly to have stricter rules.

Vaccines

If a vaccine were to become available, 66% of the study’s participants said they would take it. But it seems the older the respondents, the more willing they were to take a vaccine. Of those over 65 years old, 79% want to be vaccinated. Between the ages of 50 and 65, 71% would take a vaccine. 62% of 35 to 49-year-olds want the vaccine. But of those between 18 and 34, only 53% were interested in taking a vaccine. Just under half of all participants think that making the vaccine a requirement is a good idea.

Do you think that mouth masks should be an obligation in public spaces? Let us know in the comments below.

Feature Image: ©D-Keine/Canva.com