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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Italy says face masks will no longer be mandatory outdoors from June 28

Italy says face masks will no longer be mandatory outdoors from June 28

Published Jun 22, 2021 06:29 am

ROME, Italy - Face masks will no longer be compulsory outdoors in Italy, one of the countries in Europe worst hit by the coronavirus, from June 28, the health ministry said Monday.

A woman takes a selfie in front of Rome's landmark Colosseum on June 12, 2021(Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP/ FILE/ MANILA BULLETIN)


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, Health Minister Roberto Speranza wrote on Facebook.

This includes all Italian regions except the tiny Aosta Valley in the far northwest.

Speranza's announcement came on advice from Italy's Comitato Tecnico Scientifico (CTS) scientific advisory panel, 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 percent 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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