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The failure of a section of the public to wear face masks as part of measures to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 may increase the risk of infection among the populace.

Mr Muntaka Chasant, the Chief Executive Officer of ATCMask, said: “Mask wearing in public is mandatory, and no longer a choice. It is in the interest of the public to understand that covering the mouth and nose will protect loved ones and others from the virus either in the pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic stages.”

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency he said some people placed the mask below the nose, with many having to consistently touch to fix it properly on the nose or pull it down when talking.

“From what we know so far, this behaviour increases the chance of infection.”

Mr Chasant urged the public to use metallic nose clips that came with masks and always make sure people pinched it to form a seal around the nose, which would make it firm to avoid touching and pulling.

“If your mask doesn’t have a metallic nose clip like happens in many of the home-made cloth masks, use a medical paper tape to form a tight seal around your nose to prevent the mask from having to pull down. That should work in most cases and have the mask remain in the same position.”

He appealed to metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to provide masks to the vulnerable in society to help curb the spread of the disease.

Mr Chasant, who is also an Environmentalist, said it was imperative for the various regional security councils to support the police to strictly enforce the mask wearing and social distancing directive especially at the markets, banks and in vehicles.

He urged the media to intensify their campaign on COVID-19 and the need to mandatorily wear masks as directed by the President to curtail the spread of the disease in the country, pursuant to sections 169 and 170 of the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851).

To avoid contamination, infection or transmission of the virus through the use of the masks, he entreated members of the public to clean their hands with soap and water or with an alcohol-based hand sanitiser before wearing the mask.

Mr Chasant appealed to government to put in place legal options to enforce personal preventive etiquette as part of measures to halt the spread of Covid-19, and said any such move would ensure that people adhered strictly to the personal preventive protocol, which include the wearing of face masks.