Dutch Government: Masks Haven’t Been Proven Effective

Dutch Government: Masks Haven’t Been Proven Effective
Customers enjoy their drinks at the newly reopened cafes on Leidseplein Square, as Netherlands eases some of the lockdown measures put in place during the (COVID-19) outbreak, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on June 1, 2020. Eva Plevier/File Photo/Reuters
Reuters
Updated:

AMSTERDAM—The Dutch government on Wednesday said it will not advise the public to wear masks to slow the spread of coronavirus, asserting that their effectiveness has not been proven.

The decision was announced by Minister for Medical Care Tamara van Ark after a review by the country’s National Institute for Health (RIVM). The government will instead seek better adherence to social distancing rules after a surge in coronavirus cases in the country this week, Van Ark said at a press conference in The Hague.