The Ministry of Health has responded to misinformation on social media about face masks, saying that the information is 'totally false'.
In a statement on Tuesday, they responded to claims that face masks 'restrict the flow of oxygen into your lungs' and called for Kiwis to get information from a reputable source - not social media.
"It's important to make sure everyone knows this is totally false - the pore size of a face mask is typically more than 1,000 times larger than an oxygen molecule," the statement said.
"Wearing a face mask will not restrict your flow of oxygen, even if you have a respiratory condition."
The statement used an example of a UK doctor Tom Lawton, who recently ran 35km while wearing a three-layered face mask.
"Throughout the run he wore a pulse oximeter on his finger to monitor his oxygen levels, which never dropped below 98 percent. To put that in context, a reading of under 90 percent would be considered low."
This isn't the first time false rumours about COVID-19 have been shared on social media.
A statement posted on Facebook last week alleged a member of a family in South Auckland who had tested positive for COVID-19 had visited her boyfriend in quarantine.
The MBIE told Newshub on Saturday the rumours are false and there is "no link" established between community outbreak and managed isolation.
Health Minister Chris Hipkins is urging Kiwis to stop sharing social media rumours and get information from credible sources instead.
