News

An Online Survey Reveals That a Certain % of People Will Still Wear Masks in Public Transport

2023-02-11 , 11:36 am

By now, you’ve probably heard about the news that Singapore will be moving to DORSCON Green, which means that mask-wearing will no longer be mandatory on public transport from Monday (13 February) onwards.

And unless you’ve been mask-fishing your new boyfriend or girlfriend for months, it seems like a step in the right direction (for both Singapore and your oily faces, I mean.)

However, it seems like a certain percentage of Singaporeans will still choose to keep their masks on while taking public transport, and it’s not because they’re experts in mask-fishing.

Here’s why.

Online Survey Conducted by Zaobao: Less Than 10% Think It’s Not Necessary to Wear Masks

After the Multi-Ministry Task Force announced the removal of the remaining COVID-19 measures on Thursday (9 February), Lianhe Zaobao carried out an online survey to find out more about Singaporeans’ reactions to the removal of the mask-wearing rule in Singapore.

In particular, less than 10% out of the 2,270 respondents felt that it is no longer necessary for people to wear masks while taking public transport anymore.

On the other hand, 30.9% of respondents, or 701 people, indicated that they would not remove their masks while on public transport as they have already gotten used to wearing masks.

Well, it seems like Lan Mao here can probably count as part of the 30.9%, although I’m not sure if he’s choosing to keep his mask on because he’s used to wearing a mask already (or if it’s because he’s just lazy to brush his teeth in the morning; nonetheless, don’t be like him).

28% of respondents said that they would still wear masks if they see that the bus or train that they are on is crowded.

Apart from that, the survey results also showed that 16.9% of respondents (384 people) would continue to wear masks if they feel unwell.

Besides that, 14.6% of respondents (331 people) mentioned that they would continue to wear masks in hospitals as they feel that there are many patients in hospitals and that wearing masks will help protect both themselves and others.

Reasons Why Singaporeans Will Continue Wearing Masks on Public Transport

When interviewed by Zaobao, a 48-year-old lady named Li Shuqi (Hanyu pinyin) shared that she does not wear masks while working in the office as there are not a lot of people working in the office together with her.

However, she has and will continue to wear her masks outside her office as much as possible.

She also added that she has been reminding her two children, who are both in primary school, to wear their masks in school as much as possible, especially since it is flu season.

As for Xie Xinling (Hanyu pinyin), she shared that she usually plays by ear and does not wear masks most of the time nowadays.

However, the 26-year-old will still wear a mask if the area is crowded or if the situation calls for it.

For example, she wore a mask when she attended a concert last weekend as she was seated closely with others in an indoor setting, and many people in the area were singing or shouting loudly throughout the entire concert.

Some People Will Bring Masks With Them But Not Wear Them Unless Absolutely Necessary

On the other hand, a retiree named Zheng Qixiang (Hanyu pinyin) pointed out that the increasingly warm weather has caused him to feel out of breath and stuffy when wearing masks outside.

Which I’m sure we can all relate to.

He then said that there is no need to wear masks anymore if COVID-19 has already achieved endemic status.

However, he will continue to bring masks when leaving the house and will wear them if someone near him coughs.

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Doctors’ Opinions: Continue Wearing Masks if it Makes You More Comfortable, Should Continue to Stay Safe and Healthy

As for what doctors think, Dr Philip Koh of Healthway Medical encouraged members of the public to continue wearing masks on public transport if it makes them feel more at ease.

He said that mask-wearing has become the norm after three years of the COVID-19 pandemic and that people should not be concerned if others will look at them “differently” if they choose to wear a mask after they are no longer required by law.

Additionally, Dr Koh, who is the Chairman of Healthway Medical’s Medical Board, said that wearing a mask when unwell is also a form of social responsibility.

Similarly, Dr John Cheng, Head of the Primary Care Division at Healthway Medical Group, reminded members of the public that they should still take measures to ensure that their personal health is not compromised as COVID-19 approaches endemic status in Singapore.

These measures include maintaining one’s personal hygiene through ways such as:

Washing one’s hands frequently, especially after touching surfaces such as doorknobs
Being aware of the newest COVID-19 vaccines available
Ensuring that the environment that one is in is well-ventilated
Avoid going out during peak hours