SIA cabin crew to wear face masks on flights as a ‘precautionary measure’ amid COVID-19 concerns

SINGAPORE: Cabin crew from Singapore Airlines (SIA) have been asked to wear face masks while operating flights, the airlines told CNA on Monday (Mar 9).

SIA said it was a temporary “precautionary measure” to “minimise the risks for both its customers and staff”.

Cabin crew were informed it was “mandatory” for them to wear a face mask when operating on board, according to a circular sent to crew members seen by CNA.

While the crew will not be penalised for “temporary removal” of the masks, they were requested to put it back on as soon as possible.

The circular stated the change came into effect on Saturday.

READ: COVID-19: SIA cabin crew on leave of absence after passenger tests positive

Before the announcement, cabin crew were given the option to wear a face mask if they wanted to.

Last week, it was announced that those who worked on a Milan-Singapore flight were asked to go on a leave of absence after a passenger tested postive for the novel coronavirus.

In light of the outbreak, SIA flights have also been affected. Key affected destinations include Frankfurt, Jakarta, London, Los Angeles, Mumbai, Paris, Seoul, Sydney and Tokyo, the airline previously said.

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