[UPDATED] Masks off: indoor masking now optional, says Khairy

KUALA LUMPUR – Effective immediately, face masks will no longer be mandatory indoors – except on public transport and in healthcare facilities – Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said today.

Those who are symptomatic or Covid-19 positive, however, must continue wearing masks.

Public transport, he explained, includes e-hailing services as well as school and worker buses.

The healthcare facilities where masking will still be required include clinics, hospitals and nursing homes.

However, premise owners who wish to enforce mask mandates are permitted to do so if they feel indoor masking is still necessary.

This is in line with relevant laws, Khairy said at a press conference after an event at the Royale Chulan Hotel here.

“For example, hair salons can still decide whether their customers are required to wear a mask when inside their premises and they have the right to require their customers to wear a mask.

“Other places are optional although the ministry encourages the public to still use masks at congested areas such as stadiums and places of worship like mosques,” Khairy said.

Shopping malls and supermarkets are other indoor spaces where the Health Ministry still encourages masking when crowded, as well as when in the presence of high-risk individuals such as the elderly, children and those with chronic diseases or who are immunocompromised.

Outdoor masking is encouraged in a crowd and if one is a high-risk individual, or has symptoms such as fever, cough and flu, Khairy added.

He said the lifting of mandatory masking is based on the latest data in the country on infection and vaccination rates, as well as hospital admissions for Covid-19.

Malaysia first implemented the mask mandates on August 1, 2020 and subsequently relaxed the ruling to apply to only indoor settings in May 2022.

This year, Covid-19 cases were highest in March, at above 30,000 per day, before falling to over 3,000 per day in May.

New daily infections have not been more than 5,000 since then. — The Vibes, September 7, 2022