Placido Hilukilwa
A NEW and worrying trend, whereby people obey the letter, but not the spirit of the regulation requiring the wearing of face masks when going out in public is increasingly observed in the North.
According to several public relations representatives of the Namibian Police, some people are now “hiring” their friends’ face masks to use when the move out and then return them to the rightful owners after use.
Police spokespersons for Ohangwena, Omusati, Oshana and Oshikoto have all expressed concern, saying that some people – when denied access to shops or other public places because they are not wearing face masks – simply go and “hire” someone else’s face mask and return it to the owner afterwards.
Wearing a “hired” face mask meets the letter of the regulation, but it undermines the real purpose of the law, posing a greater danger of spreading the coronavirus.
The police are also advising face mask vendors to take additional precautionary measures to curb the spread of the virus.
Street vendors of face masks are requested to make sure that a prospective buyer touches only the face mask he or she intends to buy.
Shop owners are equally encouraged to post a clearly visible “no mask, no entry” notice at the entrance of their shops.
