SINGAPORE — Children below six years old will not have to wear a face mask in public, although they are still strongly encouraged to use one or a face shield especially when in group settings.

Before this, only children below two years old were exempt from wearing face masks in public.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Wednesday (Sept 23) that the change in policy comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef) recently issued their guidance that young children below the age of six may not have the coordination necessary for the proper use of masks.

Therefore, consistent adult supervision is recommended to ensure the appropriate and safe use of masks by these young children.

Safety rules here to control the spread of Covid-19 allow for greater flexibility on mask use for young children, and permit children aged 12 and below to use a face shield in place of a mask.

These are already consistent with WHO and Unicef’s recommendations but are not fully reflected in Singapore’s laws, the ministry noted.

“We will be therefore adjusting the legal cut-off age for children to wear masks to six years old and above, up from the current two years old and above,” it said.

However, it added: “To protect young children from Covid-19, we continue to strongly encourage young children to use a mask or face shield, especially if they are in a group setting (for example, in preschool) or when interacting with others.”

Children and other persons who may not have the coordination necessary for the proper use of masks or face shields should continue to be supervised when doing so, MOH said.