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Singapore U-Turns on Wearing Masks as Local Virus Cases Climb
Faris Mokhtar and David Ramli-
The government previously advised wearing them only when ill
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‘We now are in a different situation,’ minister tells nation
Pedestrians wearing protective masks walk past the Marina Bay Financial Centre in Singapore.
Photographer: Ore Huiying/BloombergFor months, Singapore’s leaders urged citizens to wear masks only when ill, especially after locals panicked and rushed to stores to grab bundles of the essentials as the coronavirus spread. Now, they’ve shifted tack.
In a live address to the nation Friday afternoon, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said his government will stop discouraging the general public from wearing face masks in public.