MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Peruvians allowed to take off their facemasks indoors, but

... the measure does not reach hospitals or interprovincial transport

Peruvian health authorities announced that face coverings will no longer be mandatory in indoor settings nationwide, except in hospitals, public transport, and among people with respiratory symptoms.

“Changes have been made in the regulation of the use of masks. Now, the use of masks will only be mandatory in vehicles, in hospitals, and [around] any person with clinical respiratory diseases,” Health Minister Jorge López said.

He added that these modifications, which include the progressive lifting of the requirement of the vaccination card to enter closed spaces, will come into effect once they are published in the El Peruano official gazette.

The vaccination card will still be required from people entering Peru and on interprovincial transport services. Masks had been made mandatory in March 2020 and the measure was reviewed this week after observing the number of infections has decreased and the number of vaccinated people has increased, López explained.

“We have taken into account the number of positivity of cases. Our number of vaccinated, first dose, second dose and third dose, is at optimal numbers. The first dose is at more than 90 percent, that is why we have taken these measures,” López stressed.

He added that despite the fourth wave in June, the number of positive cases “continues to decrease” week by week, and is currently around 5 %. “So, we are already in a range in which, approximately, in two weeks we should be finishing this fourth wave,” projected the minister, who admitted, however, that “we are already going to live with this virus”.

Peru has applied 83,705,947 doses of COVID-19 vaccine since February 2021 for a total number of 4,137,314 COVID-19 infections, while the number of fatalities has risen to 216,406.