KUALA LUMPUR: All considerations were taken into account before deciding to relax the use of face masks, says Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

       He was responding to concerns of public health experts who viewed that it may not be the right time to relax the rule due to the festive season.

       “We take note of the concerns of public health experts, but MOH had to make a decision after taking into consideration all factors, including the comfort of the people and the science behind the infection,” he told reporters after witnessing the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Clinical Research Malaysia (CRM) and Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi).

       He noted that the risk of infection is lower outdoors than it is indoors.

       Khairy added that the Ministry is very clear with its recommendation, which is for high-risk people to don their face masks in crowded places, even though it is outdoors.

       “We are in the transition phase. We want to make people accustomed to community solidarity and individual responsibility,” he said.

       As for teachers, who will be conducting physical lessons, he said they are allowed to remove their face masks.

       However, he said that those who are symptomatic cannot be allowed to conduct physical lessons.

       Khairy recently announced a slew of relaxed measures on Wednesday (April 27).

       Among them, lifting the requirement of MySejahtera check-ins, and that donning face masks outdoors will no longer be compulsory.

       The Health Ministry, through CRM, will be joining DNDi, a non-profit medical research organisation to develop safe, affordable and effective treatment for dengue fever.