Wearing a mask: transport, hospitals… Where are our European neighbors?

“We need to strengthen the wearing of the mask,” says Covars President Brigitte Autrans, who this Sunday is calling for the return of the mask in transport. As the ninth wave hits France and Prime Minister Elisabeth Bourne makes a “solemn appeal” to the French to return masks to “illegible places”, Le Parisien takes stock of the measures in place with our neighbors.

In Germany, FFP2 is mandatory on the train.

Several European countries have decided to keep the wearing of masks on public transport and have never lifted this measure since the lifting of restrictions against Covid. Thus, in Spain it is still mandatory for shipments throughout the country, and each region has the opportunity to impose stricter rules.

The same is true in Germany, where local transport is governed by land regulations. On the other hand, in long-distance public transport, such as a train, wearing an FFP2 mask (and not just a surgical one) is mandatory from the age of 14. FFP2 is also required on public transport in Vienna, the capital of Austria.

Cyprus, Greece and Lithuania have also retained the wearing of masks on public transport.

Targeted health facilities in most countries

In Europe, most countries have retained the mandatory wearing of masks in medical institutions, for example, France: these are Germany, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Spain, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta. , Poland, Portugal and Slovakia.

Small variations apply by state to broaden the scope of the measure. In Slovakia, Poland, Belgium or Vienna, wearing a mask is mandatory in pharmacies. In Hungary, Portugal and Luxembourg, a nursing home is required.

Germany seems to be one of the countries with the strictest legislation, as wearing the FFP2 is always required to visit the hospital. In some regions, visitors, including those vaccinated, are also required to take an antigen test within 24 hours or PCR within 48 hours.

Some countries have abandoned everything

However, a minority of European states chose to abandon any restrictions. In Estonia, for example, it is simply recommended to wear a mask, as in the UK and Ireland. In the case of the Netherlands, this is left to the discretion of medical institutions, as in Denmark, where private institutions can impose it.

Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Romania have lifted all pandemic-related restrictions and therefore wearing a mask is no longer required or recommended.