Face masks will no longer be compulsory in Italy from 28 June, the Health Ministry said yesterday.
Italy was one of the worst hit countries in Europe by the corona virus. Health Minister Roberto Speranza wrote on Facebook that the lifting of the mask requirement would come into effect in regions labelled “white” under Italy’s classification system for how rapidly the virus is spreading.
This includes all Italian regions except the tiny Aosta Valley in the far northwest.
Speranza’s announcement came on advice from Italy’s scientific advisory panel Comitato Tecnico Scientifico (CTS), which said people should still have masks at hand for events with higher risk of spreading the virus like large gatherings.
By June 28, experts predict all of Italy will be classified a “white” zone, with just 21 deaths and 495 new cases recorded nationwide on Monday.
The country has recorded 127,291 deaths since the pandemic reached it in early 2020, with 4.25 million infections.
So far, 30 per cent of people over 12 have been vaccinated, or around 16 million out of a population of 60 million.
More than 46 million vaccine doses have been administered in Italy.
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