The World Health Organization (WHO) said that new information showed masks could provide “a barrier for potentially infectious droplets” and advised the use of masks in public areas to help stop the spread of Coronavirus.
WHO has asked nations to encourage the general public to wear fabric masks in areas where there continues to be an intense spread of the novel coronavirus. It has also advised all health workers and caregivers to wear medical masks throughout their shift.
During a media briefing in Geneva yesterday, the Director-General Tedros said that governments should encourage the general public to wear masks where there is a widespread transmission and physical distancing is difficult, such as on public transport, in shops or in other confined or crowded environments.
The WHO also stressed that face masks were just one of a range of tools that could be used to reduce the risk of transmission and that they should not give people a false sense of protection.
Meanwhile, in Bhutan, currently, there is no government order mandating the wearing of masks in public areas. At the recent Press Briefing on COVID-19, the Health Minister, Dechen Wangmo, said that mandatory wearing of masks would only be enforced if there were cases of community transmission in the country. “For now, we are only recommending everyone to use masks and many people are using it where ever they go which is very encouraging. However, we cannot make it mandatory for everyone to use masks as there is no community transmission of the disease in the country.”
Globally, there are over 6.7 million confirmed Coronavirus cases and nearly 400,000 deaths since the outbreak began late last year. However, Bhutan has only reported 48 imported cases and with no community transmission, it still remains in the orange zone.
Passang Dorji
