ED: No excuse for not wearing a mask

With over 420,000 registered cases of the coronavirus of which more than 6,000 having resulted in deaths, we cannot allow ourselves to ignore the potential threat that Covid-19 still poses, no matter how “normal” things seem to have become.  

In that regard, it is encouraging to note that the government is not taking the future of the pandemic lightly, with the Religious Affairs Ministry issuing a notice which has made the wearing of masks mandatory in places of religious worship.  

Be it a mosque or a temple, places of worship are potential hotbeds for the virus to spread, and it is about time that the government took a hardline approach to ensuring that people wear masks in order to contain the spread of Covid-19. 

This follows the October 25 directive issued by the government which stated that people would not be served in public institutions without masks -- another commendable step, especially considering the fact that many amongst the citizenry have been found to have become lax when it comes to ensuring masks are worn at all times when out in public. 

At this point in time, ignorance regarding the benefits of wearing the masks and the potential threat of a second wave of coronavirus cases is no longer acceptable -- masks must be worn, whether people like it or not. 

Masks are a cheap and easy-to-use method which has repeatedly been proven to work to contain the spread of Covid-19 and it is bordering on criminal negligence to not be wearing one when out and about in public.