Announcement on new face mask regulations this week, says Khairy

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin says he will make an announcement regarding new regulations on face masks by Wednesday.

He said the Public Health Executive Committee which he chairs had received recommendations from experts on the use of face masks, and the health ministry was still in the process of gathering the public's views on the matter.

Meanwhile, he said three approaches need to be seen by the ministry before the country can be said to move to the endemic phase, including a declaration from the World Health Organisation.

Khairy said the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342) was still applicable until the end of December, and that all areas in the country were declared as areas of infectious diseases.