Member of Parliament for the North Dayi Constituency, Rocelyn Tetteh has expressed worry over how a majority of the public use face masks amidst concerns of Coronavirus spread.According to her, though many have bought into the idea of wearing face masks, how it is worn is problematic and deserves some attention as the fight against the virus continues unabated.

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She says it has become the norm the world over as more than 50 countries now require people to cover their faces when they leave their homes. Hence the need to ensure that citizens wear the masks as prescribed by health experts.

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Making a case on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, June 4,  the North Dayi MP said ”Though it appears many people have bought into the idea of wearing nose masks, there is a worrying trend among the populace especially when it comes to wearing and handling the masks properly.

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In our markets, on commercial vehicles and even at workplaces, you will find people who wear the mask below their chin, on their forehead, simply hang it around their neck or carry it in their hand.””The impression is created that it is sufficient to own a mask and carry it around. The main reason for members of the public wearing masks, particularly non-surgical masks, is to reduce the risk of passing the coronavirus to someone else.

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This is why I am worried about the improper manner in which some of us wear the masks,” she said.She added, ”I have a concern about the way some of us handle the masks, especially the home-made fabric types. Proper handling of the home-made ones requires that the masks are washed with warm soapy water, dried and ironed at least once a day if possible.

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Sadly, I have seen people wearing masks which appear rather soiled and unkempt.”She continued that ”This situation is alarming because the experts tell us that clothing or accessories that we wear have the potential to be contaminated, and same is true for our cloth masks. For this matter, Dr. Daniel Griffin, an infectious diseases expert at Columbia University advices we must wash our masks as often as we do our underwear.

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”The MP, while applauding efforts being made by government to make the wearing of face masks mandatory, called on the NCCE and other agencies to intensify education on it”While we applaud efforts made to enforce mandatory wearing of nose masks, we must go a step further to ensure that they are worn and handled properly. I see the need for more public education on the use of nose masks.

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All government agencies must step up their public education efforts. The NCCE must also do a lot more and so must the Health, Information and Local Government Ministries and our numerous media houses,” she added.Source: abcnewsgh.com

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