Germany Toughens Mask Rules in Hopes of Slowing Virus Spread
- Country follows Bavarian lead in mandating medical-grade masks
- Germany has reported record virus deaths, even as cases ease
FFP-2 face masks on the production line in Walddorfhaeslach, Germany, on Jan. 20.
Photographer: Thomas Kienzle/AFP/Getty Images
Germany has ratcheted up rules for wearing face masks, becoming the first major European country to require medical-grade protection in shops and public transit in hopes of controlling faster-spreading strains of the coronavirus.
Chancellor Angela Merkel announced the measures alongside new curbs late Tuesday, mandating that people wear surgical masks or higher-specification N95 or FFP-2 devices rather than simply donning cloth face coverings. The move comes as the country reports record Covid deaths despite an easing of new infections, and echoes efforts in some Asian countries that have more successfully limited Covid’s spread.