SINGAPORE — Face coverings such as neck gaiters, bandanas, scarves or handkerchiefs should not be used to prevent COVID-19 transmission, said the Ministry of Health .
“To ensure transmission rates in the community are kept low, it is critical for every member of public to put on masks that are designed or made specifically to prevent disease transmission,” MOH said in the media release. The issue on the efficacy of such face coverings was raised recently in Singapore after an incident in which a bus driver refused to allow a man wearing a neck gaiter to board the bus.
Testing to community groups with high public interactionMeanwhile, MOH plans to begin providing COVID-19 testing to community groups such as taxi and private-hire car drivers, food delivery personnel, key vendors servicing foreign worker dormitories, as well as stallholders at hawker centres, markets and similar food and beverages establishments such as coffeeshops.