'In a public transport situation, people may choose to wear masks when up close to other people and we recognise that is not an unreasonable thing to do.'
Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy has backed the voluntary use of face masks on public transport, after the national cabinet rejected a proposal to make them compulsory.
The comment is a departure from the previous official advice that there was no benefit in ordinary citizens wearing masks while in public, and comes as new academic research indicated that wearing masks can reduce the risk of transmitting SARS-CoV-2 while asymptomatic. An academic study published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal BMG Global Health on Friday found masks were 79 per cent effective at curbing transmission - but only before symptoms emerged. It found that masks were not effective after symptoms emerged.
"Just like how they have hand sanitiser and wipes at the entrance of the supermarket, and you wipe down your trolley," she said."Every country, particularly ones that are going to open up and get things going again, is going to have to consider it ... It's a low-risk intervention and there's a potential benefit."to lower the chance of transmission as workers return to their offices, after more than 40 countries made them compulsory.
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