The Chief Executive’s Office today said the Government has not requested colleagues not to wear surgical masks.

It made the statement in response to media enquiries on the wearing of surgical masks by officials.

Given that surgical masks are in short supply globally and taking into account experts’ advice in relation to the novel coronavirus infection, the Steering Committee & Command Centre considers it necessary to prioritise the use of surgical masks, with priority given to healthcare workers and frontline staff, the office said.

The Financial Services & the Treasury Bureau issued internal guidelines to the heads of departments on the morning of February 3, stating that the top priority is to ensure the supply of surgical masks for workers in healthcare settings or when contact with patients is involved.

It also said departments should economise the use of government surgical masks as much as possible.

In particular, department heads should ensure that those masks are only provided to staff members if they will have frequent contact with members of the public as part of their duties, if it is for meeting essential operational needs or if it is for meeting special needs of the staff members concerned, such as medical conditions.

The internal guidelines of concern do not apply to civil servant colleagues who wear their own surgical masks.

The Chief Executive has earlier reminded principal officials to lead by example, minimising the need to wear surgical masks unnecessarily to reduce their consumption.

In practice, officials will take a risk-based approach and take into account relevant factors such as their personal condition, whether they have left Hong Kong or visited any hospitals recently in deciding whether to wear masks at public functions.

At the press conference on February 3, officials present decided whether to wear surgical masks according to their personal conditions.

The Chief Executive wore a surgical mask while meeting petitioners this morning, taking into account the need to interact with members of the public in close proximity.