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The beginning of the end of the mask: in which countries is it no longer mandatory to wear it indoors?
The mask, considered an effective tool for prevent the spread of coronavirus, it is no longer mandatory to use it outdoors in several European countries, thanks to the evolution of the pandemic. However, only some governments have decided to eliminate it completely along with the lifting of restrictions.
The WHO has already confirmed that Europe is in a good position to control COVID-19 due to the high vaccination rate of its population and the widespread level of infections, which leads several countries to ease the limitations, despite the presence of the omicron variant.
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According to Swansea University public attitudes and behavior researcher Simon Williams in an interview with CNN, “levels of concern regarding omicron tend to be lower with earlier variants.” In addition, that the factor of fear of the virus is less.
This is because people are no longer afraid of getting it, as they know they will eventually get infected. According to Williams, even in order to get over the virus once and for all, some people actively seek out the virus. A practice that doctors flatly reject.
Below, these are the countries that have eliminated the mandatory use of masks outdoors and indoors.
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Denmark
Denmark became the first country in the European Union to lift all restrictions once morest COVID-19. On February 1, he said goodbye to the mandatory use of masks indoors, having the vaccination passport in bars, restaurants and stadiums, and mandatory isolation for those infected.
As reported by The Atlantic, its current infection rate is higher than that of any other country in the world, except one: the South Pacific archipelago, Palau. So why was the decision made to lift all restrictions?
The decrease in ICU admissions and the high level of vaccination (81% of the population have received two doses and 61% have received a booster dose), means that the disease caused by Sars-CoV-2 is no longer socially critical in Denmark.
“Our hospitals are not overloaded. We have excellent data surveillance of our hospital system,” said Michael Bang Petersen, researcher and adviser to the Danish government.
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In addition, “people are in the hospital for much less time than in previous waves. The number of people receiving treatment for pneumonia is a critical indicator, and it’s also going down.”
Sweden
As of February 9, Sweden became the second country in the European Union (EU) to remove all restrictions related to COVID-19. “It’s time to reopen Sweden,” the Prime Minister, the Social Democrat Magdalena Andersson, announced at a press conference.
If in Denmark the masks have only been used indoors during periods of maximum contagion, in Sweden not only have they not been mandatory outdoors, but indoors their use has only been recommended on public transport at peak times in case there is no it was possible to maintain a safe distance.
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France
The Government in French through the Ministry of Health announced last Friday that as of February 28 the mask will no longer be mandatory inside those premises that require a passport or vaccination certificate to enter. In transport, the mask will continue to be mandatory.
For its part, the European Union considers that it is still early to treat the coronavirus as a seasonal virus. “The reality is that we have a very contagious variant, omicron, which has accelerated the wave in several Member States, so we need to be cautious,” stressed the French Minister of Health, Oliver Véran.
“It is early to say that we are out of the pandemic,” he added.
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U.S
The beginning of the end of the indoor mask has begun in the US The state of New York decreed that it cease to be mandatory from February 10 in shops, restaurants and companies of all kinds, although its use will be requested in schools, nursing homes, social centers, prisons and public transport, according to The New York Times.
Other states such as California, Oregon, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware or Massachusetts have made similar announcements.
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Finland
The Government of Finland agreed on Wednesday, February 2, the progressive and gradual elimination throughout this month of the restrictive measures to deal with the coronavirus. Border controls have already ended, while the use of the mask was forgotten.
The Prime Minister, Sanna Marin, pointed out that they are negotiating with the other parties in Parliament the timetable for the elimination of all restrictions. Since the start of the pandemic, Finland has added 501,152 cases of COVID-19 and 2,012 deaths, according to the John Hopkins University count.
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Norway
Norway also lifted most of the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic due to the lesser severity of the omicron variant and the high rate of the vaccinated population. Until February 17, the use of masks indoors will be mandatory when the safety distance of one meter cannot be kept and other recommendations will be in force, reports Efe.
“In short, we go from detailed rules to the distance meter, the mask and common sense,” summarized the Norwegian Minister of Health, Ingvild Kjerkol. 90.9% of the population over 18 years of age have received the complete schedule of the vaccine.
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United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, the document that proves that the person carrying it is immunized is no longer required, nor is it required that citizens work from home when possible. In addition, the mask is no longer mandatory indoors and outdoors.
In addition, masks are not mandatory in school classrooms either, although the Government of Boris Johnson still suggests the use of some type of facial covering in spaces with the presence of massive citizens.
