RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – After 318 days in force, the mandatory use of masks on Portuguese streets no longer applies as of this Monday, September 13.
With over 78% of the population fully vaccinated, the country has been gradually lifting the restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The face cover is still required in indoor spaces, public transport, shopping malls, public buildings and to enter or walk in the interior of cafés and restaurants, and in other specific situations, such as schools.
Although the requirement has been lifted, health authorities recommend that masks continue to be worn in crowded areas.
Portuguese deputies chose not to renew the law that mandated the use of masks. The original law was passed in October, at a time of high incidence of Covid-19 cases in the country.
According to Portuguese rules, masks on the streets were only compulsory when social distancing could not be maintained. Still, many Portuguese, particularly in large cities, chose to wear the face cover whenever they left home.
The decision to end mandatory masks on the streets was not unanimous among experts, and some medical groups opposed the measure.
“The National Association of Public Health Physicians continues to suggest that, particularly in the upcoming winter season, masks should remain a form of personal protection used by everyone or almost everyone, so that we may protect ourselves, not only from Covid-19, but also from the flu,” said the entity’s acting president Gustavo Tato Jorge in a statement.