I, like many others, have personally experienced the devastating impact of Covid-19. My mum, Sue, was battling a chronic lung condition, when she contracted Covid-19 during her stay in the hospital, this tragically led to her passing within hours. I strongly believe this could have been prevented had wearing masks been mandatory, not just for visitors, but for everyone in the hospital. Whilst we seem to have put the pandemic behind us, it's alarming to witness a lack of enforced safety measures in our medical institutions, where the most vulnerable are at risk, have we learnt nothing in the past five years? 

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has repeatedly shown that use of masks significantly reduces the likelihood of transmission of respiratory viruses, including Covid-19. Despite this information, mask-wearing policies in hospitals still vary widely, leaving high-risk patients exposed to potential infection.

Taking into account the life-threatening consequences suffered by patients like my mum, we implore medical institutions and the relevant health authorities to enforce the wearing of masks in all wards, but especially those with high-dependency patients. The least we can do to honour the memory of victims like my mum, is to ensure that no other family has to undergo what we have. Please sign this petition to help us protect vulnerable patients like my mother and commit to safer health practices in hospitals.