GEORGE TOWN: Joss stick seller Lim Ah Nooi won’t be without a face mask when she is outdoors.

       She said she would be interacting with an endless stream of customers at her stall next to the Goddess Of Mercy Temple daily and it was best to be cautious.

       “I have friends and customers coming to my stall often, so it is safer for me to keep the mask on,” said Lim, 50.

       “Furthermore, we’ve been wearing the face mask so frequently I’ve gotten used to it.”

       For many Malaysians such as Lim, they aren’t ready yet to discard their face masks when they are outdoor, preferring to be safe than sorry.

       Health and safety solutions provider Wong Kee Wei believes that wearing face masks is still the best form of protection to curb Covid-19 transmission.

       Wong, who has been in the industry for 20 years, said putting on face masks could help protect oneself and others.

       “Although it is no longer mandatory outdoors, we advise people to evaluate the situation themselves,” said Wong, who is Safetyware Group managing director.

       Sole proprietor Casey Fow, 51, said she would continue wearing a mask outdoors even if others did not.

       “Wearing a mask also ensures the safety of my family at home. I will also still continue to avoid crowded areas outdoors unless my work requires me to do so,” she said.

       Bank executive Jerry Jameson Muda, 43, similarly felt that people should make a responsible decision in light of the various relaxations given.

       “We never know who could be an asymptomatic carrier and it does not take much to wear a mask.

       “Masking up in crowded places and maintaining physical distancing should also be part of the public’s civic responsibility especially since we have done this for more than two years,” he said.

       He said that he, too, would continue to wear a mask outdoors, adding that he would only take it off if it affected his breathing while he was performing certain tasks.

       However, drink seller Nazumudeen Kassim was relieved with the relaxation of rule on mask wearing.

       He runs a roadside stall in Penang all by himself.

       “Without anybody around me, I believe it is safe and will be much more comfortable if I can work without needing to put on a face mask at all times.

       “It is hard to breathe and it feels suffocating when the weather is hot,” said Nazumudeen, 40.