The wearing of a mask is still only ‘advice’, though
Yesterday the Dutch parliament managed to achieve a consensus on the wearing of non-medical face masks in public places. The PM, Mark Rutte (VVD), then announced that the wearing of masks would be “urgent advice” that applies immediately. The exact details where it will and will not apply are still being worked out.
“In public indoor areas it is strongly advised to use a mask that covers your nose and mouth. If you sit down, you can take it off,” said the prime minister. “It is not necessary outside and it is not legally enforced.”
Public interior space includes all shops, museums and town halls. For contact professions such as hairdressers and beauticians, it is recommended that both the service provider and the customer wear a mouth mask.
Wearing a mouth mask will be added to the well-known basic rules: keep your distance, wash your hands and stay at home in case of complaints.
In countries such as Spain, Italy, Germany; and France, face masks have been required for several months- with widespread take up by the public. In the last month or so, the WHO has also changed its advice, suggesting non-medical cloth face mask usage to help stop the spreading of droplets (the most common way for the Coronavirus to spread).
