Outbreak team wants mandatory medical face masks in shopping streets, sports events

The Outbreak Management Team (OMT) wants to make medical face masks mandatory in busy shopping streets and crowded outdoor markets, as well as at sports events and demonstrations. It asked to expand the face mask obligation to some outdoor spaces in its most recent advice to the caretaker Cabinet, NU.nl and NOS report.

Until now, face masks were only mandatory in some public indoor spaces like supermarkets, shops, and libraries.

The OMT now wants to make it mandatory for everyone aged 13 and over to wear a facemask in all indoor spaces where different households gather, regardless of whether people can maintain social distancing or whether they are seated and not moving around. According to the new advice, the only time you can remove your mask is to eat or drink.

The expert team also advised that only medical facemasks of at least type 2 are used. "These masks offer slightly better protection against the emission of virus particles into the environment than non-medical masks and also offer the wearer more protection against contracting an infection," the OMT said in its advice.

The OMT also advised on quarantine in primary schools. If at least three kids in a class test positive for Covid-19, the entire class should be quarantined, the OMT recommended.

The experts met on Friday to discuss the coronavirus situation in the Netherlands. The new Cabinet, which is being sworn in today, will decide what actions to take this coming Friday. The biggest question is whether the current lockdown will end on January 19 as planned.