Australia lifts face mask mandate on flights

Sydney, Australia, Sep 9 (EFE).- Australia on Friday lifted the requirement to wear a face mask on domestic and international flights, one of the last Covid-19 measures to be lifted in the country.

The lifting of the airplane mask mandate, which came into effect post midnight, is based on the medical recommendations adopted by the government cabinet on Aug. 31 and applies to both international and domestic flights.

“It has been removed on the advice of the Chief Medical Officer that it is no longer proportionate in the current context” of the pandemic, Australian Health Minister Mark Butler said in a statement on Thursday, recalling that the face masks were made mandatory on planes from January 2021.

“I encourage everyone traveling overseas to be mindful of the continuing risk of Covid-19 and to take personal precautions to stop the spread and stay safe,” he added.

Australia, which has implemented strict measures and long lockdowns to contain the spread of Covid-19, recorded 7,750 cases and 71 deaths on Thursday.

Since the start of the pandemic, the country has registered more than 10 million infections and 14,275 deaths. EFE

wat-nc/pd