This is where I find their reasoning faulty.If you read the article, what they are saying makes sense:
QUOTE
The one exception outside of the medical frontline has been on public transport, where masks are mandatory on the basis it is difficult to stay apart on crowded buses, ferries and trains. 'We have seen this approach works,' said Christian Hoebe, a professor of infectious diseases in Maastricht and member of the advisory team. 'Face masks should not be seen as a magic bullet that halts the spread.
'The evidence for them is contradictory. In general, we think you must be careful with face masks because they can give a false sense of security. People think they're immune from disease or stop social distancing. That is very negative.'
UNQUOTE
So, if you can trust people to observe 1.5m distancing, you don't need masks. I expect in NL you can trust them - after all they don't have their government saying contradictory things every 5 minutes. In situations where this is not possible, you need to wear masks. The Dutch do use public transport a lot. I can just imagine how a Dutch tram driver would speak to you if tried to board without wearing one!
When I spend time around people, I notice that
it's very easy to drop one's guard, & pass much
closer than recommended.
Since I never liked being close to others, I notice
is this much more than do neurotypicals. I'm
continually telling people to move away....& this is
cuz I avoid masks whenever it can be safely done.