Current location:health >>
Merkel rejects calls for abolishing face mask requirement in German shops
health5People have gathered around
IntroductionA man wearing a face mask leaves a supermarket in Berlin, capital of Germany, July 7, 2020. German C ...
A man wearing a face mask leaves a supermarket in Berlin, capital of Germany, July 7, 2020. German Chancellor Angela Merkel rejects the idea of backing away from the face mask requirement in the country's shops, government spokesperson Steffen Seibert said here Monday. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi)
BERLIN, July 6 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel rejects the idea of backing away from the face mask requirement in the country's shops, government spokesperson Steffen Seibert said here Monday.
"Wherever the minimum distance cannot be guaranteed in public life, masks are an important and, from today's perspective, still indispensable means," stressed Seibert. The wearing of masks is still necessary in order to "keep the number of infections low and to protect other people and ourselves."
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Minister for Economic Affairs Harry Glawe has triggered a debate about abolishing the requirement to cover the mouth and nose in shops. "If the incidence of infection remains so low, I see no reason to continue to make masks mandatory for retail," Glawe told the German newspaper Welt on Sunday.
Other federal states in Germany are also considering the abolition of the face mask obligation in shops. "We are currently looking into whether we can do without compulsory masks when shopping," Saxony's Social Affairs Minister Petra Koepping told the paper.
Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn called for caution on Sunday and warned that the coronavirus was still there. However, he also said he understood "the impatience and the desire for normality."
According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the number of new COVID-19 infections in Germany increased by 219 within one day to 196,554, with 9,012 confirmed deaths on Monday. Except for a few local outbreaks, such as at a German meat processing plant where more than 1,500 employees tested positive, the number of new cases has been on a steady decline.
With 48,744 cases, Bavaria is one of the most affected states in Germany, according to the RKI. Last week, Bavaria was the first German state to approve free COVID-19 tests for all its 13 million inhabitants.
Bavaria's Minister President Markus Soeder stressed on Monday that his state would "by no means relax or abolish the obligation to wear masks." Wearing a face mask is "one of the very few protective equipment" against the coronavirus, he said. Enditem
Tags:
Reprint:Friends are welcome to share on the Internet, but please indicate the source of the article when reprinting it.“International Intrigue news portal”。http://www.ipdilemma.com/content-88a599883.html
Related articles
Spanish city of Barcelona celebrates day of books and love
healthThousands of people were on the streets of the northeastern Spanish city of Barcelona on Tuesday for ...
【health】
Read moreYouth employment rate may improve in August
healthCandidates look at employment opportunities at a job fair in Nanjing, Jiangsu province. [Photo by Li ...
【health】
Read moreChina committed to promoting peace talks on Ukraine issue: top diplomat
healthChinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (right) meets with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on the ...
【health】
Read more
Popular articles
- Chinese military ready to boost ties with Indonesian counterpart: defense spokesperson
- White salt flats become black fertile fields
- China through its own eyes
- Von der Leyen makes bid for 2nd EU term
- Gunnar Henderson becomes youngest player to hit 10 homers before May 1 as Orioles defeat Yankees 2
- Hayao Miyazaki's animated fantasy stays atop Chinese box office
Latest articles
7 Minnesotans accused in massive scheme to defraud pandemic food program to stand trial
French President Macron meets visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi
Chinese FM mourns passing of renowned Japanese conductor Seiji Ozawa
Development key to protecting human rights
Convicted robber, 45, admits stabbing charity busker, 87, while riding his mobility scooter
Fishermen detail fatal ramming
LINKS
- Spirit of the Silk Road lives on in Xi'an
- France guarantees right of abortion
- UK urged to refrain from meddling in HK affairs
- China emphasizes neighborly cooperation in diplomacy: NPC spokesman
- 2023 Zhejiang Agricultural Expo showcased about 14,000 types of agricultural products
- CPPCC hosts science lecture on general AI
- Xi attends opening meeting of NPC annual session
- China's national legislature to hold press conference ahead of annual session
- GBA integration a focus of attention at CPPCC
- NPC aims to further enhance the legal system