WEARING two masks at a time is encouraged but not required, said Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah

The Health Ministry director-general said that according to the United States’ Centres For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), using two masks is 95% more effective against Covid-19 than wearing just one.

“Using double face masks is encouraged for public and high-risk places such as hospitals.

“Recently there was an article (that said) that the virus not only can spread through droplets but it’s airborne. So, it is also good to wear face shields,” he said during a press conference in Putrajaya today.

The director general was asked about a viral photo of him wearing two masks and goggles during a visit at Hospital Putrajaya on Hari Raya.

The director-general said this get-up was for a hospital setting and not a new policy for wearing masks.

Noor Hisham also said that the two-week lockdown will help the Health Ministry reduce the number of infections.

This, he said, is so that the hospitals can accommodate more patients.

“That’s why these two weeks are needed to stockpile equipment and rearrange areas to accommodate more wards and Intensive Care Units (ICU).

“Our hospitals are already in critical condition.”

Putrajaya’s tightened MCO 3.0 starts on May 25, with more restrictions on economic and social activities.

Noor Hisham reiterated that ICU across the Klang Valley have exceeded 113% capacity, while the nationwide total is 91%.

He said to accommodate the increase, hospitals have had to repurpose other wards as temporary ICU.

“This will also allow non-Covid19 patients to get the critical care they need.

“For example, at Sungai Buloh Hospital, part of the Emergency Department has been converted into a critical care centre and ICU.

He had said the 80-bed ICU at Sungai Buloh Hospital, the main Covid-19 hospital in the Klang Valley, was at 111% capacity as of yesterday, handling 89 Covid-19 patients.

Noor Hisham said other strained hospitals include Kajang Hospital, Banting Hospital, Serdang Hospital, Tuanku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital and Ampang Hospital.

He said these hospital ICU are operating at anywhere between 113% and 317% capacity. – May 22, 2021.