Residents of Bavaria were obliged to wear FFP2 respirators instead of masks. This decision was made against the backdrop of the spread of a new mutation of the coronavirus, Deutsche Welle reports.
Bavarian residents must now wear high-protection respirators in shops, transport and other public places. In addition, the authorities will issue 34 million vouchers for free respirators for citizens at risk.
According to The Guardian, compliance with the requirement will begin on January 24. At the same time, exceptions can be made for bus drivers, conductors and children under 15 years old. In the near future, the mandatory wearing of respirators may be introduced in the rest of the federal states of Germany. A similar measure has already been introduced in neighboring Austria since January 25.
Earlier it became known that a previously unknown mutation of the coronavirus was discovered in Bavaria, due to which there was an outbreak in a local hospital. 52 patients and 21 employees of the clinic were infected with a new variation of the virus. According to the latest data, more than 2 million cases of coronavirus infection have been recorded in Germany.