Coronavirus: Face masks to be default option for people when out, face shields don't provide enough protection
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Health Minister Gan Kim Yong noted that face shields will continue to be play a complementary role, by shielding the eyes, for instance.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
Toh Ting Wei
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Published Jun 01, 2020, 06:52 PM
SINGAPORE - People will have to wear face masks instead of face shields when they leave home, following a review of an earlier policy in which either option had been allowed.
Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said on Monday (June 1) that the task force combating the Covid-19 outbreak had decided that face shields were not as effective as masks in reducing the risk of virus transmission.
"We know that Covid-19 is spread predominantly through droplets," said Mr Gan.
"While face shields may provide some protection, the design of face shields typically leaves a gap between the face and the shield, which means that the wearer could still be depositing droplets. This is unlike masks."
So an infected person wearing a face shield would be more likely to spread Covid-19 to someone else, compared with a person wearing a face mask.
Only specific groups will be allowed to wear face shields in place of face masks.
The Ministry of Health earlier said that all types of masks, including face shields and reusable and homemade masks, offer adequate basic protection for the general public.
TEMASEK FOUNDATION PARTNERS ECDA AND MOE TO PROVIDE FACE SHIELDS AND HAND SANITISERS TO STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND STAFF AS A BACK TO SCHOOL INITIATIVE
As students head back to school, Temasek Foundation is
partnering the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) and Ministry of
Education (MOE) to give some specially prepared items to all pre-school, early
intervention centres, primary, secondary, special education (SPED), junior college and Institute of Technical Education (ITE) students and teachers, to help them keep safe. Pre-school, primary, secondary, SPED and junior college students will each be given two bottles of hand sanitiser each: one 50ml pocket-sized sanitiser to carry with them, and a larger one of 500ml to refill the smaller one. The sanitiser solution is made up of 40% isopropyl alcohol and 0.1% benzalkonium chloride (or BKC) – a disinfectant that can be used against coronaviruses.
Pre-school and primary school students will also be given a face shield each, as an
alternative to face masks. Face shields can be washed simply with soap and water, to maintain its anti-fog properties.
As pre-school teachers may have to come into closer contact with children, Temasek
Foundation will also provide all pre-school teachers and staff with face shields and an
oximeter. Some have already received these, as they completed their swab tests over the past few days. Others will receive them in the course of the next few weeks.
"Therefore, safe distancing measures, personal hygiene and the use of masks will become more important to help prevent the spread of Covid-19," he said.
But he noted that face shields will continue to be play a complementary role, by shielding the eyes, for instance.
The Health Ministry's director of medical services, Associate Professor Kenneth Mak, said the review of the stance on face shields was made on the basis of being "more cautious".
"Face shields may continue, however, to augment the use of masks but the mask wearing will be the default," he said.
"If a face shield is worn, it has to be worn in such a way that it's worn properly to cover the entire face from the forehead to below the chin, wrapping around the sides of the face."
Prof Mak said that flexibility will be exercised initially, in enforcing the wearing of masks.
The aim of enforcement officials will be to educate and encourage people to do the right thing, he added.
"But certainly, we will identify people who are recalcitrant, who are not wearing masks when they should be wearing masks... These are situations where we will have to enforce the rule."
He said that people doing television broadcasts are also currently exempt from wearing both face masks or shields. They will continue to be exempt as long as their work is carried out in a safe and controlled environment.
"Notwithstanding the review of our mask and face shield policy... from tomorrow onwards, we would still advise the general public to stay at home if they don't have anything necessary to do outdoors," he stressed.
