Carrie Lam says sorry over face mask remarks

Carrie Lam says sorry over face mask remarks

Chief Executive Carrie Lam on Wednesday apologised for her remarks this week on face masks, saying she was sorry for creating confusion and “not expressing herself clearly” on whether government workers should wear them or not.



On Tuesday, Lam set off a furore after saying that to conserve stocks, officials who are not ill need not wear masks and they will have to take them off if they are not sick, or going into crowded or high-risk areas.



Political parties across the divide and health experts accused Lam of adding to the panic about the availability of face masks and accused her of ignoring public sentiments.



On Wednesday, Lam said she didn't mean to imply there’s a complete ban on civil servants wearing masks, and that she only meant officials at public events could take the lead in reducing the use of masks when it is not necessary for them to wear them.



At a media briefing on Wednesday, Lam again appeared without a face mask, just like the previous day, but some of her colleagues present were wearing them. But the top official explained that they had masks on as they were not feeling well.



“There are circumstances that the advice is to put on a surgical mask, including if that individual is unwell. I’m sorry to see that several of my colleagues are unwell, and of course that may be the case because they’re in frequent interaction in a health setting,” she explained.