Editor in chief at IamExpat Media
Citing fears about the spread of new strains of COVID-19, the state of Bavaria will tighten mask restrictions from next week onwards.
As of Monday, it will be mandatory to wear FFP2 masks on all forms of public transport and in shops and supermarkets across the southern state. The change was announced by state premier Markus Söder on Tuesday afternoon in Munich, following a cabinet meeting.
Söder said that the “normal community masks” helped to protect others, but that FFP2 masks - which are readily available in pharmacies - also helped to protect the wearer. He said the aim was to improve safety on public transport and in retail. “The availability [of the masks] in trade is sufficiently guaranteed, so there is no shortage of FFP2,” Söder emphasised.
Söder also had some positive news, announcing that lockdown measures are slowly beginning to work. In terms of the number of new infections, he spoke of a “cautiously positive trend.” Within the past 24 hours, there were 1.740 new infections in Bavaria, almost 500 fewer than a week ago.
However, the death rate is still high, and it is not yet fully clear what effect the holidays have had on infection numbers. Söder also said he was “very worried” about the virus mutation from the UK, which has now also been detected in Germany. He stressed that consistency and patience were still needed in the fight against the virus.