During the COVID-19 pandemic, face masks have been employed as a public and personal health control measure against the spread of SARS-CoV-2. As more and more countries register an uptick in reported cases of COVID-19, governments around the world make mask-wearing mandatory in public spaces. does this act contravene human rights? Check some opinions below.
„Mask-wearing, I would say, is the saving grace. According to medical experts and WHO, mask-wearing is effective in two ways: it prevents an infected person from spreading the virus through droplets exhaled by that person; at the same time, it has some effect in protecting the wearer from inhaling droplets from infected persons. Mask-wearing is an extremely cost-effective way to combat the spread of COVID-19. It is relatively cheap, easy to make, not involving high technology and so can be widely used in poorer countries. From the foregoing, it is obvious that this method of COVID-19 prevention is most effective if adopted by all the general population and is correspondingly undermined if some people wear mask and others don’t. Consequently, a government is justified in making mask-wearing mandatory. Under these circumstances, the sometimes-cited factors of inconvenience, discomfort and possible harm to health of wearing mask, would seem like a small price to pay.”
„Wearing a face mask in public places is a recommendation from several Governments around the world that I find beneficial. Indeed, in this recommendation, we can easily disentangle the supporters of the glass half empty (those who see it as an attack on their freedom) and those who on the other hand see the glass half full. They, including myself, are of the opinion that this measure, in addition to protecting our neighbor and the society from this scourge, also protects us in the first place. As our freedom must not turn into a threat to the health of our fellow human beings, wearing a mask in public places is a measure that I fully approve of and that I recommend to Governments that have not yet introduced it. Let’s be responsible, the endangering of our life by not wearing a mask endangers at the same time the survival of those present in our immediate environment while not sparing the health system which is currently overwhelmed on all sides. Let us respect barrier gestures, implement protection recommendations including wearing a mask, and regularly wash our hands to fight this scourge and eradicate it permanently.”
„I think people forgot what they said in an aircraft before it took off is to wear your mask first before putting it on to your child or the one besides you. Accountability begins with oneself. The government is working for the safety and security of the Nation which belongs to the very people living in it. Rather than seeing it as a suppression of one’s freedom or any other fear tactic by the government one can see it in a scientific logical light of the need to protect one-self from the deadly virus and save themselves from being infected and infecting others. If there is a ‘deadly’ virus in the air that remains unsorted, as there currently is, and there is a medical opinion that suggests wearing a mask helps prevent its spread, then making it mandatory to wear a mask in public spaces is undoubtedly in good order! In my view it should be adhered to without question, as it not only protects the individual but others around. Caring for yourself as much as others around you is a basic societal norm, much like wearing a seat belt, or a helmet or even restricting nude beaches.”
„I believe the use of mask in public spaces is indeed a good practice that will help control the spreading of COVID-19 at community level. However, the use of mask at community level must be part of a comprehensive package, that includes other essential preventive measures. The use of masks in the community must not become an alternative to physical distance and hand washing, which remain critical practices to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Moreover, the use of masks should always be accompanied by an effective and continuous education of the public on their proper use: when and how to wear them, how to put them on, remove, clean and dispose of them. The control of COVID-19 is a global responsibility, in which each individual has a critical role to play: act locally and think globally. Governments should adopt a comprehensive strategy to control COVID-19, ensuring that their communities are informed with the right and up to date information, and they are constantly engaged to take individual and collective responsibility and action to control disease transmission. The use of mask at community level will be effective only when part of this overall comprehensive strategy.”
„I totally agree with Governments that have made it mandatory to wear masks in public spaces as prevention against spreading and/or contracting the corona virus and the resultant Covid-19 disease. There is enough evidence showing how this dreaded virus is spread; the mouth and nose being key sources of droplets that could be harmful. Having said that, this effort would only work if every person wears a mask while in public places. Wearing masks together with the other guidelines as provided by WHO will surely significantly reduce covid-19 cases. Let wearing of masks in public spaces be mandatory.”
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