Cyprus orders reintroduction of face masks a month after scrapping them

Cyprus ordered the reintroduction of face masks to combat COVID-19 on Wednesday, just over a month after scrapping the requirement, as infections spiked again.

The requirement to wear a face mask in indoor areas comes into effect on Friday, Health Minister Michalis Hadjipantela said.

Health experts recommended the step after a spate of infections from people who were not taking the proper precautions, the Cypriot official said after a cabinet meeting.

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Cyprus had lifted the mask wearing requirement in most areas on June 1.

Cyprus no longer reports daily infections. It had reported 10,879 new cases of COVID-19 for the week ending July 1, compared with 7,263 in the previous week.

“The situation is under control,” Hadjipantela said.

Since the coronavirus was first identified on the island in March 2020, it has recorded 1,075 deaths.

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