Germany to make face masks compulsory in battle against coronavirus

Face masks will now be compulsory in Germany as the country continues its battle against coronavirus.

The decision comes after Bremen became the last of the 16 federal regions to support the proposed measures with confirmation expected to arrive on Friday.

The move, which could be rolled out on Monday, comes after German Chancellor Angela Merkel made the recommendation last week. Germany has currently experienced 150,648 cases of Covid-19 and 5,315 fatalities as of Thursday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University. The mask will be mandatory to wear on public transport nationwide, while most German states, including Berlin, will also insist on wearing one during shopping.

That directly follows the lead of Austria, where the daily practice for those venturing out to acquire essentials begun at the start of this month.

Czech Republic and Slovakia have similar regulations, though Switzerland has resisted such measures as they start to ease lockdown restrictions.

While punishments for not following new regulations are not known yet for each state, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has confirmed fines of €25 (£22) for anybody caught without a mask on public transport.

Germany’s move contradicts advice from the World Health Organisation (WHO) that only the ill and those caring for them must wear the masks.

The move has sparked some controversy though as Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann of Baden-Württemberg declared his belief that masks should be reserved for health workers, given the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE).

That concern is likely to become a trend, specifically in the UK and the strain already experienced by the NHS, who have encountered “very significant gaps” in sufficient PPE supplies.

The WHO and scientific experts maintain there is no concrete evidence to support the theory that wearing a mask will stop you from contracting Covid-19 and that the items can easily be contaminated simply by touching the outside of the mask or your own face.

Moreover, there is the psychological impact of wearing the mask and the risk that it could lead to a false sense of security while people are outside.

It is still not mandatory to wear a mask in the UK, though the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) are set to inform the cabinet on their views about adopting a similar policy to Germany.

Former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt told ITV on Wednesday that he considered it to be a “no-brainer” for people to wear masks while out in public.

But amid the widespread debate concerning masks, experts continue to maintain that regularly washing hands and practising social distancing remain the best preventative measures to stop the spread of the virus.