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The message is one of several that the company will announce on Wednesday. It will change your boarding routines and you will also have removed unnecessary loose items on the plane. Food will not be served on board and luggage is limited to one package per passenger. It is also clear that travelers who are ill or have symptoms will not be able to board the plane.
Why are you introducing oral protection requirements?
– We have introduced a series of measures to reduce the spread of the infection. Flying is a safe way to travel, there are very few cases worldwide where the infection has been found to have spread on board. Now we are strengthening our measures and introducing requirements for oral protection in accordance with the guidelines of the European organization for aviation security Easa, ”says Freja Annamatz, press manager at SAS, to DN.
What types of mouth guards are required?
– It must be a facial protection that covers the nose and mouth. We ask passengers to take refuge with them, which they should put on before boarding, and then continue during the trip and also upon disembarking.
According to the Swedish Public Health Authority, there are no certain facts that prove the effect of oral protection. What do you think?
– We follow Easa’s recommendations. Of course, travelers should also follow existing national guidelines: stay home with symptoms, avoid unnecessary travel, and maintain good hand hygiene. When it comes to air travel, we follow the industry practice that now exists.
Is there a risk that travelers may be overconfident in the effect of a mouth guard and therefore not maintain an adequate physical distance?
– It is essential that all passengers and travelers follow the recommendations of the authorities, which in Sweden means avoiding unnecessary travel and staying home if you are sick. At airports and on boarding, we must continue to maintain our distance, and we are now introducing requirements for mouth protection as an additional security measure.
SAS message The new routines came shortly after the EU Commission unveiled a major tourism package on Wednesday about how the EU should gradually open up to travelers. The package includes, among other things, specific recommendations that mouth guards should be used for those traveling by public transportation, air transportation, and in the transportation hub, but also proposals to prioritize electronic ticket booking and make coupons more attractive.
– Good infection control procedures and clean, dry air on board make the aircraft a safe way to move. Many people in Scandinavia are completely dependent on SAS and air traffic. You can be absolutely sure that we take all health and safety issues extremely seriously, “says Mattias Hedrén, SAS Vice President of Safety and Security, in the press release.
Several other airlines have previously decided on restrictions similar to those that SAS now faces. As of last week, all travelers with Lufthansa airline must wear mouth guards during the flight, but it is also recommended to do so at airports before departure and after arrival. Finnish Finnair has also introduced requirements for oral protection, a requirement that applies from May 18.
But the Public Health Authority has Currently, there are no plans to introduce oral protection recommendations in Sweden, either during air travel or in general in society.
– Not as it seems now with the evidence that exists. After all, there has been no better basis just because the European Commission has taken this position, says state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell.
