Peru To Lift Mandatory Use of Masks on May 1

For the first day of May, the Peruvian government will establish the optional use of face masks in open spaces. According to the Executive Director of Public Health Surveillance at the National Center for Epidemiology, Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) of the Ministry of Health (Minsa), Cesar Munayco, the decree will be effective once published in the Official Gazette El Peruano.

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"The optional use of face masks in open spaces will take effect as of the first day of May because we must remember that there is a decree in force, which expires at the end of this month (April), and it will be replaced by the next one. It (the current mandate) shall cease to be in force before the new measure is implemented," said Munayco.

He said that only the Metropolitan Lima, Lima provinces, Callao, Ica, and Ancash have the vaccination requirements for the allowance of the optional use of face masks in open spaces. "Only these regions meet them (the requirements). Other regions are close to achieving the goal (80% third-dose vaccination coverage among the population), but the criteria for the removal of face masks in open spaces need to be fulfilled," told the Peruvian expert.

The decree will allow the optional use of face masks in open spaces only in regions where the 80 percent of the population with more than 60-year-old has completed the vaccination scheme against COVID-19 and where at least the 80 percent of the population over the age of 12 has been immunized with two doses.

Mandatory use of masks in open spaces will become optional in regions with a high COVID-19 vaccination rate as of May 1, indicated the executive director of Public Health Surveillance of Minsa Peru, César Munayco.

"This will be evaluated every month so that more regions meeting these two requirements can be added," said Munayco. He added that the face mask would remain mandatory for closed spaces such as markets and cinemas, as studies have dropped that the COVID-19 virus is more likely to be transmitted in closed spaces.

"It is important that the population be aware that this (the optional use of face masks) will be permitted only in open spaces," told the expert.