.JPEG "Sekolah Kebangsaan Methodist Perempuan students on their first day back at school in George Town July 22, 2020. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Sayuti Zainudin")
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 10 — Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said he has proposed to the special ministerial committee for the government to provide washable fabric cloth masks or plastic face shields to all students in primary and secondary schools.
He said that for the washable fabric cloth masks, there will be no issue for lower income families to afford them.
“With the washable fabric cloth masks, [lower income families] don’t have to spend RM1 a day for the disposable masks.
“We have already requested the Health Ministry to research the viability of using such masks.” said Ismail Sabri in a news conference at Parliament after his Covid-19 security briefing today.
The defence minister said that the Health Ministry had initially recommended using the costlier three-ply mask that employs specific fabrics.
He said the government was awaiting for the Health Ministry to see if the washable fabric cloth masks are suitable.
On the use of the plastic face shields for schoolchildren, Ismail Sabri said it was also among the proposals.
He said the recommendation was made as the face shields can be washed and reused.
“One needs to only buy it once at about RM3 to RM4 each and it can be used for three to four months.
“I have asked the Health Ministry to also look into the viability of face shields,” said Ismail Sabri, adding that these were the proposals being looked into by the Health Ministry.
On July 17, Ismail Sabri was reported saying that it is not compulsory for students or teachers to put on a mask during school hours and that the school administrators are only required to provide face masks if there are students or staff who showed symptoms of the Covid-19 illness during the schooling session.
Last Thursday, former deputy health minister Dr Lee Boon Chye, reiterated his suggestion for the government to provide reusable cloth masks to all students in primary and secondary school, including preschoolers, and bottom-40 households identified through the Bantuan Sara Hidup database.
