Face masks made mandatory in public spaces
Italy, the Czech Republic, and Spain’s Canary Islands are among the destinations that have enforced mandatory face mask rules
Czech Republic Health Minister Adam Vojtěch has announced that from 1 September, face masks will once become mandatory on all public transport vehicles, and at indoor locations, including shops and shopping centres, post offices, and public events.
“It will also be mandatory to wear face masks at indoor locations, such as shops, malls, post offices, and government offices. And at indoor mass events, regardless of the number of participants. It will also apply to the common interiors of schools, but not within individual classes,” Vojtěch said, adding that masks will not be necessary in office environments, where the same people spend time together and do not interact with outsiders. “We want to place [the requirement] where it makes the most sense.”
Italy has announced plans to shut its nightclubs and make face masks mandatory in some public spaces following a recent increase in new Covid-19 cases. The new restrictions, which make masks mandatory between 6pm and 6am in areas close to bars and pubs or other areas where gatherings are likely, will be enforced until early September, in an attempt to minimise the number of new Covid-19 cases.
And over in the Canary Islands, nightlife in enclosed spaces has been banned, and the wearing of masks in indoor and outdoor public spaces has been made mandatory, regardless of whether the safety distance of 1.5 metres can be maintained. The new rule is applicable to anyone over the age of six, both visitors and locals.
“Faced with this situation, the Governing Council has decided to adopt new restrictive measures proportional to the risk and aimed at those areas or sectors in which the risk of transmission must be reduced,” a government spokesperson said.
These latest restrictions follow the news that Paris made face masks mandatory in certain public spaces, including along the banks of the River Seine, along Canal St Martin, and in open-air markets, with a fine of €135 in place for those who breach the rules.
ITIJ notes that many of the instances in which restrictions have had to be reinstated due to a flare up in new Covid-19 cases are frequently popular bar and nightlife destinations. Enforcing strict sanitisation and social distancing regulations in relaxed leisure-time environments is clearly proving to be no easy feat, especially where drinking is involved.
Furthermore, while new face mask rules are being put place to help guarantee public health and safety, and to mitigate the spread of Covid-19, they may also potentially deter prospective visitors from travelling in the first place. As a recent survey by YouGov highlights, many European holidaymakers would rather cancel their holiday than have to wear a mask outdoors. This could very well be bad news for the tourism industry, unless it can think of other creative ways to appeal to these holidaymakers, but as travel insurers well know, this isn’t exactly grounds for cancelling a trip.