Outbreak Management Team to discuss face masks obligation today

The Outbreak Management Team (OMT) is meeting today to discuss the use of face masks in the fight against the coronavirus, among other things. The government asked the OMT to reassess how effective masks are last week after multiple calls to make them obligatory in some public spaces.

A press conference will likely be held after the OMT meeting concludes, a spokesperson for public health institute RIVM said to RTL Nieuws.

The number of coronavirus infections in the Netherlands spiked again over the past period. And Netherlands residents seem less and less inclined to adhere to the rules in place to curb the spread of the virus. Multiple studies have shown that wearing masks, combined with other measures, could be effective in curbing the spread of the coronavirus. A recent survey by Maurice de Hond also showed that the majority of Dutch is in favor of a mask obligation.

The government also asked the OMT to look into the possibility of having people coming from risk areas tested upon their arrival in the Netherlands, whether they have symptoms or not. In this way, travelers from those areas may also have to stay in quarantine for a shorter period of time if they test negative.