Charmaine Gauci: Mandatory Masks Will Be Re-Assessed When Majority Is Vaccinated
Malta’s mandatory mask-wearing rules will be re-assessed when the majority of people has been vaccinated, Superintendent of Public Health Charmaine Gauci has said.
Responding to journalists at a press conference today, Gauci said the health authorities will monitor the experience of Israel, which recently removed its requirement for people to wear masks outdoors after the majority of its population got vaccinated against COVID-19.
“The ECDC makes it clear that until we reach herd immunity, masks should be worn in public spaces and gatherings. We’ll observe countries like Israel and when the majority of people get vaccinated, we’ll adapt our measures as we have always done according to the situation and the evidence in hand.”
The European Centres for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) actually recommends the wearing of masks in confined public spaces and crowded gatherings.
The ECDC's latest guidance, released on Wedneday
The European Centres for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said this week that physical distancing and mask rules can be relaxed for people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19.
It added that these rules can also be relaxed when fully vaccinated people come into contact with unvaccinated younger and middle-aged people so long as they don’t display symptoms and there isn’t a high circulation of immune-escape variants.
Recent statistics show that just over 21% of Malta’s population has been fully vaccinated against the virus so far.
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