Secretary-general of the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) Dr Tan Cheng Bock insists that everyone should wear a mask when leaving home.

His comments came after the government announced on Friday (Apr 3) that people will not be discouraged from wearing masks.

During his address to the nation on Friday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong noted that the government had been advising the general public that people only needed to wear a mask if they were not feeling well, as there was no community spread.

However, Mr Lee said: “The situation has now changed.”

“There are some cases in the community going undetected, and there is evidence that an infected person can show no symptoms and yet still pass on the virus to others,” he said.

“Therefore, we will no longer discourage people from wearing masks.”

In a Facebook post yesterday (Apr 5), Dr Tan wrote: “As a doctor, I would go one step further to encourage, and even insist that everyone should wear a mask when you leave home”.

“You will be protecting neighbours, colleagues and people around you if you cough and sneeze or if you are an asymptomatic carrier. There is nothing to lose in wearing masks. The number of unlinked local infection cases and new clusters is rising. You will also minimise the risk of catching the virus if a carrier is close to you”, Dr Tan explained.

Emphasising, “Let’s not look for reasons not to wear a mask in public”, Dr Tan also advised that good hygiene habits such as hand washing and not touching the face or mouth should be practised.

“And most of all, we should Stay At Home. This is the best way to protect yourself”, he added.

In 2018, former presidential candidate and general practitioner Dr Tan hung up his stethoscope after 50 years in medicine.

Read related: PM Lee: People will not be discouraged from wearing masks