The Dutch government announced this week that it will not be mandating that citizens wear masks to halt the spread of COVID-19, arguing that their effectiveness remains unproven.
Speaking at a press conference at The Hague, the Netherlands’ Minister for Medical Care Tamara van Ark said that a recent review by the country’s National Institute for Health (RIVM) showed that social distancing rules prove more effective at combatting the virus than masks.
“Because from a medical perspective there is no proven effectiveness of masks, the Cabinet has decided that there will be no national obligation for wearing non-medical masks” Van Ark said, as reported by U.S. News and World Report.
Though RIVM chief Jaap van Dissel acknowledged studies indicating that masks may be useful in slowing the spread of COVID-19, he argued that incorrectly worn masks coupled with weak social distancing guidelines could help the virus spread.
Hellbound and Down 