PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry strongly recommends and encourages the use of face masks in public areas, especially in crowded and confined places.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said this comes following the World Health Organisation's (WHO) recommendation on Friday, advising everyone to wear face masks in public areas where there is a risk of Covid-19 transmission.
"WHO's announcement was prompted by evidence from studies conducted citing face masks are useful in reducing the risk of viral transmissions.
"The ministry strongly recommends the public to use face masks, especially the elderly and those with symptoms of Covid-19 at crowded places such as during public commute," he said, here, today.
Dr Noor Hisham reminded that WHO had also stressed on maintaining social distancing and practicing good personal hygiene.
According to the WHO's guidance, people over 60 or with health issues should wear a medical-grade mask when they are out and cannot socially distance, while all others should wear a three-layer fabric mask.
All others should wear a three-layer fabric mask: absorbent cotton closest to the face, followed by a polypropylene layer and then a synthetic layer that is fluid-resistant.