SINGAPORE - Masks will soon be required only on public transport and in healthcare settings such as hospitals, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday (Aug 21).
With the reduced requirements, they will be optional in most indoor settings. But they will still be required on public transport, where people are in prolonged close contact in a crowded space; and in healthcare settings such as clinics, hospitals, and residential and nursing homes, where there are vulnerable persons, PM Lee said.
For schools in particular, masks should not be needed in class, he said.
“Children do need to be able to see the facial expressions of their teachers and of each other,” said PM Lee.
“You have to learn to read faces... if (a person) is angry or happy... otherwise, you grow up with a blank space in your brain,” he said.