KATHMANDU: Germany has announced plans to make face masks mandatory to combat the spread of coronavirus.
Mask use will be compulsory on public transport throughout Germany, and nearly all states will also make face coverings compulsory when shopping, international media reports said.
Chancellor Angela Merkel strongly recommended their use last week when she eased lockdown rules.
Different countries have issued different guidelines on the use of face masks.
Austria made them compulsory when shopping at the start of this month, but on Wednesday Switzerland confirmed it would not make its citizens wear masks as it loosened its restrictions.
Germany’s Robert Koch Institute (RKI) has confirmed 145,694 cases and recorded 4,879 deaths in total.
Meanwhile, Wednesday’s data showed a second consecutive day that new infections rose, with 281 deaths compared with 194 reported on Tuesday. Johns Hopkins University in the US puts the number of German deaths at 5,117.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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