KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 3 — The Melaka state government will reportedly reintroduce a face mask mandate on January 17 if the number of positive Covid-19 cases in the state continue to record an upward trend.
The Star quoted state health and anti-drug committee chairman Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh as saying the preemptive measure of making the wearing of face masks mandatory in public areas was in line with the unabated number of cases globally.
"We are monitoring the situation and will not hesitate to make face masks compulsory in public and other premises if the need arises based on our two-week evaluation of the number of cases reported," he reportedly said.
Dr Muhamad Akmal also urged locals as well as tourists to start wearing face masks with immediate effect.
"We also urge locals to take their booster doses as a precautionary measure, especially the high-risk groups," he added.
The federal government made the use of face masks mandatory on Aug 1, 2020, at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Face masks were then made optional outdoors on May 1 last year, as part of the country's move towards the endemic phase of Covid-19.
In September, then-health minister Khairy Jamaluddin announced that the wearing of face masks indoors was optional with the exception of public transport and all healthcare facilities.
