The German capital Berlin will impose masks from April 27 on public transport in the face of the coronavirus epidemic, reaching a majority of regional states of the country, announced Mayor Michael Müller.
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The wearing of this mask will be "compulsory" because in transport "it is not possible to guarantee a distance of several meters between each person", he justified.
Ten out of sixteen German states, with a total population of nearly 49 million, have announced such obligations to limit the spread of the virus, and some are already in force. Masks are compulsory in public transport and sometimes also in shops.
Federal government favors recommendation for now
Saxony (east) was the first region to have imposed protections in transport and shops on Monday, when the first shops reopened. In Bavaria, the largest German state in area, the mask will be mandatory from next week.
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The most populous state, that of North Rhine-Westphalia, remains for the moment to "strongly recommend" the use of protections. It is also the position of the federal government, which, federalism requires, cannot impose such restrictions by itself. But his position could change in the coming days.
The "under control" pandemic in Germany
With more than 143,000 cases officially recorded for around 4,600 deaths, the pandemic is "under control and manageable" in Germany, in the words of the Minister of Health, Jens Spahn. "We are still far from leaving the hostel," warned Chancellor Angela Merkel, warning the public against a resurgence of the virus. And the latest figures show a rise in risk as the population tends to less respect the instructions for distancing or confinement.