Following the Netherlands’ announcement of the stricter measures against the coronavirus on Monday, calls for a national face mask obligation in the country are rising.
The Dutch government's current measure - that shopkeepers in the cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague should only allow customers wearing a face mask to enter their shops - is perceived as unclear, according to the Dutch Lower House.
According to Rob Jetten, group leader of the social-liberal political D66 government party, an "unequivocal line" is needed when it comes to face masks.
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In the past, Jetten has been reluctant when it came to making masks madatory, but on Tuesday, he said that a rule to wear them in public areas where the 1.5-metre distance cannot be maintained should be on the table.
If such a rule can prevent a new lockdown like the one in spring, "then so be it," according to the D66.
The opposition parties (green-leftists) GroenLinks and (social democrats) PvdA also want the mandatory mask rule to be introduced nationwide.
They believe that the decision on whether or not a mask should be worn should not be left to shopkeepers.
The Brussels Times
