Photo of baby in full-face mask on New Zealand flight goes viral, sparks debate

A picture taken on July 1 onboard a domestic flight from Auckland to Wellington in New Zealand has not only gone viral but has also sparked debate. The picture shows a child wearing an adult mask covering his entire face with two holes cut out for his eyes.

Jander Opperman, the person who clicked this photo said the baby was giggling, jumping around, and looked extremely joyful. According to him, the kid made the flight enjoyable and entertaining.

The image has gone viral and has sparked a debate. While some found it incredibly cute and hilarious and compared it to a character of a popular horror film, some found it incredibly sad. Some also said that it was an instance of child abuse.


One user commented that if they had been on this flight, they would have removed the mask themselves. Another said covering a child’s nose like that was dangerous. Some questioned the effectiveness of the mask in protecting a child that small from COVID 19.

Some jokingly commented that the raised fist of the baby was to assure everyone that there are enough holes in the mask for him to breathe comfortably. While another said he must have been training to be a superhero but the world is not yet ready to see a SuperBaby.

Mr. Opperman said in a statement that the mask didn’t look tight around the baby’s face. It seemed more like an effort to have a laugh and protect the baby with whatever was available to her.

Adding to the conversations, a microbiologist and Covid communicator, Siouxsie Wiles said that masks might decrease the virus they breathe minorly but it is preferable if they use the masks made especially for the little ones.

New Zealand government lays emphasis on every flier of 12 years and above should wear masks and for the younger kids, the parents should use a well-fitting mask to cover their chin, mouth, and nose.