Editorial
Even though our city is in the midst of its most serious COVID-19 crisis since the pandemic started to rear its ugly head some 2 ½ years ago, there are still quite a lot of people who don’t wear a facemask at all or wear it incorrectly.
It’s shocking, ridiculous and, most of all, irresponsible. It should be a punishable offence, considering that maskless menaces are morons endangering public health. In a worst-case scenario, their behaviour can seriously harm or even kill their fellow citizens – or even themselves.
Besides, facemasks are cheap and easily available in Macau, not just the so-called “government masks” but also those sold at market prices.
I have worn a facemask since Macau’s first COVID-19 case was confirmed on January 22, 2020. I admit that they are not convenient but they are useful. I am sure that those countless facemasks have not only protected myself but all those around me.
At yesterday’s press conference a reporter pointed out that there are still those who don’t wear their facemasks correctly even when shopping in a supermarket – which tend to be crowded, some even after midnight.
Facemasks are lifesavers, and that’s why we should wear them all the time when out and about, not just in shops but also on public transport and even when just strolling around and enjoying the sights.
Of course, facemasks alone can’t protect us from the nasty virus. That’s why the World Health Organisation (WHO) is right when stating on its advice-for-the public website that “masks should be used as part of a comprehensive strategy of measures to suppress transmission and save lives…,[so] make wearing a mask a normal part of being around other people. The appropriate use, storage and cleaning or disposal of masks are essential to make them as effective as possible.”
The local government has been selling facemasks to the population since the outset of the novel coronavirus, and we should all be grateful for it. Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Elsie Ao Ieong U announced at yesterday’s daily press conference about COVID-19 that the government will hand out high-quality KN95 facemasks at the city’s testing stations from today because of the particularly contagious Omicron BA.5 variant that is besieging Macau. That’s what a responsible government does.
I am sure that facemasks have been playing a vital role in making sure that Macau is still one of the very few countries and territories in the world that have been spared any COVID-19 fatalities.
Facemasks, in combination with vaccination drives, nucleic acid testing stations and self-test kits, have so far been able to keep the Grim Reaper at bay in Macau.
So, please, all those oafs out there that still shun the live-saving facemask – get real! Be responsible! Think about the community around you. Humans are a social species. We need each other.
So, please, wear a facemask when getting on the bus, taking the lift, going shopping or just walking around! Otherwise, I would like the government to make the wearing of a facemask in public places mandatory. Those who breach the rule should then be handed a hefty fine.
Social responsibility, solidarity and discipline are the best way of getting rid of the novel coronavirus.
N.B. Just one remark about our daily press conference by the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre: please try to be more comprehensible about the COVID-19 statistics. Do not rattle off the numbers as if you are in a contest of fast talkers. Besides, the most important figures should be repeated at least once for clarity.
This is just a piece of friendly advice by someone who admires all those who have been working so hard to keep us all healthy during those difficult times. Stick to it!
– Harald Brüning
