LISBON (Reuters) – The use of mask in public will be mandatory at any time on the Portuguese island of Madeira from August 1, announced on Tuesday the local government, making it the first region of the country to adopt such a measure against COVID-19. .
Madeira, popular for its wine and green landscape, has controlled to keep the number of coronavirus cases low since the onset of the pandemic. It reported 105 infections, with no new cases since Saturday.
“The use of the mask serves precisely to show those of us explaining why we have these results,” said the region’s Secretary General of Health, Pedro Ramos.
The use of a mask in enclosed spaces and public transport is already mandatory in Madeira, but now those on the street will also have to wear a mask.
Last year, Madeira received about 1.5 million visitors, from mainland Portugal and elsewhere. This year, so far only 258,000 tourists have arrived and those there will have to provide evidence that they have tested negative for the virus.
Portugal, which reported a total of 50410 cases of COVID-19 and 1,722 deaths, was first hailed as a good fortune in its fight against the epidemic.
But a wave of epidemics on the outskirts of Lisbon over the more than two months has forced the government to bring some action to the affected areas. The government is expected to take some of these measures on Wednesday.
Reporting through Catarina Demony; Editing through Jonathan Oatis and Nick Macfie
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