As of Thursday, January 2, the German authorities will no longer require the use of face masks on public transport, moving from mandatory to voluntary and the individual responsibility of each citizen.
Three years after the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the obligation to wear a mask in long-distance transport such as buses or trains will no longer apply as of Thursday, in the same way as for the nine federal states in their respective means of transport, as reported by the NTV channel.
The decision comes after growing calls from some political leaders to abandon the obligation, as Germany, along with Spain, was the only country in the European Union that still required the mask.
More recently, transport companies had also spoken out in favor of ending the requirement in local public transport, claiming that, given the pandemic situation, «an obligation has not been necessary for a long time».
«It was becoming increasingly difficult to enforce this on passengers and explain to them why they did not have to wear a mask on a fully booked plane or in a sold-out concert hall, but did have to wear a mask on the bus and train on the way to the airport or concert,» a spokesman for the Association of German Transport Companies has asserted in statements to the aforementioned media outlet.
Thus, the federal requirements on face masks will only apply in clinics, nursing homes, doctors’ offices and other healthcare facilities, as reported by the DPA agency.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
