Guidelines for the Public on Scientific Wearing of Masks(Revised Edition)

In order to guide the public in the scientific wearing of masks, to effectively prevent and control the occurrence of Covid-19 pneumonia, and to protect the public's health, the content of the previously released "Guidelines for the Public on Scientific Wearing of Masks" has been revised and adjusted based on current trends in the normalization of prevention and control and the overall return to work and study. These Guidelines are for use only in low risk regions, and high or medium risk regions are to continue following the original version.

1. The General Public

(1) Home.

Recommended Protection:Unnescessary to wear a mask.

(2) Outside, Parks.

Recommended Protection:It is recommended to carry a disposable medical mask or surgical mask with you and when maintaining a safe social distance of 1 meter or more it is unnecessary to wear a mask.

(3) Vehicles.

Recommended Protection:When riding or driving oneself, it is unnecessary to wear a mask; when taking public transport, subways, long-distance buses, trains, boats, airplanes, or any other public transportation, wear a disposable medical mask or surgical mask.

(4) Public places.

1. Supermarkets, malls, restaurants, exhibition halls/museums, stadiums/fitness centers, etc.

Recommended Protection:The public is required to carry a disposable medical mask or surgical mask with them. It is not necessary to wear a mask in areas where no people are congregated, ventilation is good, and a safe social distance of 1 meter or more is maintained.

2. Public places with poor ventilation such as theaters, movie theaters, underground or relatively enclosed shopping areas, internet cafes, or elevators.

Recommended Protection:Wear a disposable medical mask or surgical mask.

(5) Meeting Rooms.

Recommended Protection:It is unnecessary to wear a mask when ensuring effective ventilation and maintaining a safe social distance of 1 meter or more.

2. Personnel in Specified Locations

(1) Office and factory personnel.

Recommended Protection:It is unnecessary to wear a mask when ensuring effective ventilation and where staff at their posts maintain a safe social distance of 1 meter or more.

(2) Public venue service personnel.

Such as service staff of shops, public transportation, restaurants, cafeterias, hotels, building or community entrances, front desks, etc.

Recommended Protection:Wear a disposable medical mask or surgical mask.

(3) School personnel.

1. Childcare establishment personnel.

Recommended Protection:Due to the physiological characteristics of young children, mask wearing is not recommended. Teachers, on duty staff, and cleaning personnel in daycare establishments, and other staff such as in dining halls and cafeterias, are to wear disposable medical masks or surgical masks.

2. Elementary through highschool personnel.

Recommended Protection:It is necessary to carry a spare disposable medical mask or surgical mask with you. On campus, students and teachers are not required to wear masks; guards at school entrances and exits, cleaning personnel, cafeteria staff, and other service personnel are to wear disposable medical masks or surgical masks.

3. Colleges and university personnel.

Recommended Protection:Faculty and students are not required to wear masks where effective ventilation and air circulation are ensured, and a safe social distance of 1 meter or more is maintained; In enclosed areas, where people or congregated, or when in close contact with others (less than 1 meter), a mask is required; guards at school entrances and exits, cleaning personnel, cafeteria staff, and other service personnel are to wear a disposable mask or surgical mask.

(4) People in hospitals seeking care, visiting, or attendants.

Recommended Protection:Wear a disposable medical mask or surgical mask.

(5) Senior care facility, welfare institutions, prison, and mental health establishment personnel.

Recommended Protection:Persons in this type of establishment are not required to wear masks, but outside personnel and staff providing services are wear disposable medical masks or surgical masks.

3. Key Personnel

(1) Suspected and confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus and asymptomatic carriers; persons in close contact; persons entering the mainland (beginning at entry through the conclusion of isolation).

Recommended Protection:Wear surgical masks or respirators that are KN95/N95 compliant or higher-grade that do not have exhalation valves.

(2) Persons in at-home isolation.

Recommended Protection:Wear disposable medical masks or surgical masks, but may choose to not wear masks when alone.

(3) Persons with fever, coughs, or other symptoms.

Recommended Protection:Wear a surgical mask or a KN95/N95 compliant or higher-grade respirator without an exhalation valve.

(4) Persons with serious cardiopulmonary illness and infants.

Recommended Protection:Persons with serious cardiopulmonary illnesses are to wear masks as directed by a physician. Children under 3 years are not to wear masks.

4. Personnel with Occupational Exposure

(1) Staff at entry and exit ports.

Recommended Protection:Wear surgical masks or KN95/N95 compliant respirators.

(2) Drivers who provide services to persons in isolation and service personnel, guards, and cleaning staff at hotels designated for isolation.

Recommended Protection:Wear surgical masks or KN95/N95 compliant respirators.

(3) Medical personnel in regular clinics, emergency rooms, patient wards, etc.

Recommended Protection:Where surgical masks or higher-grade masks.

(4) Medical personnel in designated hospitals fever clinics; personnel working in wards or ICUs with confirmed or suspected Covid-19 cases; epidemiology survey, laboratory testing, and environmental disinfection personnel; persons transporting confirmed or suspected cases.

Recommended Protection:Wear medical respirators.

(5) Operations personnel engaged in collecting respiratory tract specimens; staff who perform tracheotomies, intubation, bronchoscopy, sputum aspiration, CPR, lung transplant surgeries, or autopsies on Covid-19 patients.

Recommended Protection:Hooded (or full face) powered air purifying respirators [PAPR], or half-face PAPR with protective glasses or a face screen; P100 anti-particle filter element must be selected for both respiratory protection devices, and the filter element is not to be reused, but the protection device may be used after disinfection.

5. Precautions for Use

(1) Pay attention to hygiene, hand sanitation should be completed before putting on masks and after removing them.

(2) Masks that need to be reused are to be hung in a clean, dry, and well-ventilated place after use.

(3) It is recommended that spare masks be stored in the original packaging and if they are not independently packaged, they can be stored in a disposable food bag and ensure they are kept in shape.

(4) If you feel chest tightness, shortness of breath, etc. when wearing a mask, you should immediately go to an open outdoor location and remove the mask.

(5) Discarded masks are to be disposed of along with other garbage, but masks suspected of being contaminated such as those of staff of medical establishments or staff at places where crowds congregate, must be stored separately and treated as hazardous garbage.