Many questions have already been asked about the introduction of a compulsory wearing obligation for non-functional mouth masks in public transport. Carriers use their powers under the Passenger Transport Act 2000 to provide directions to public transport passengers. Enforcement will in practice be carried out by the supervisors under this Act.
The Minister for Medical Care and Sport, Martin van Rijn states that enforcers not oversee the specific type. However, it must be a face mask. Scarves and the like are not allowed. According to van Rijn, the Royal Netherlands Standardization Institute (NEN) Foundation has offered to make recommendations for non-medical face masks for travelers in public transport.
non-medical mouth masks
NEN makes recommendations for non-medical mouth masks without a CE mark. This recommendation can help sellers and users to provide and apply high-quality protection. For use in public transport it is emphatically non-medical mouth masks. Medical masks remain for care, these have a CE mark.
CE markings indicate a medical mouth mask, which is reserved for healthcare. If a face mask is offered on the market in series production, the European directive General product safety and product liability applies. For face masks offered on the market in series production, it also applies that if the mouth masks contain chemicals in any way, these mouth masks must also be tested against the REACH Regulation. So there are minimal requirements that a face mask must meet.
no protection
Non-medical masks for travelers are not for the protection of the traveler himself, but of the others around him / her. It non-medical mask is intended for use by healthy people, who do not have and / or have no clinical signs of infection and who do not come into contact with people with such symptoms.
The wearing of a non-medical mouth mask is in addition to the hygiene measures to prevent transmission of COVID-19 in a situation where the 1,5 meter distance cannot be maintained and where triage cannot take place.
Everyone is responsible for purchasing a mask. To make the mouth masks as affordable as possible, the Minister of Finance has reduced the VAT on mouth masks to 0% until at least September.
Also read: Traveling by public transport only with mask
