Adopting the mask-wearing culture |
多国纷纷改口,呼吁民众戴口罩 |
www.i21st.cn |
BY wangxingwei from 21st Century Published 2020-04-14 |
![]() As COVID-19 spreads, many Western people have started wearing masks in everyday life. XINHUA
At the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, people wearing masks were rarely seen on the street in many Western countries. As the pandemic rages in Europe and the US, some countries and cities have rolled out mandatory rules or recommendations on wearing a mask in public, with louder calls from experts and significantly more people wearing masks than weeks ago. Such a development represents a gradual shift from the old view of many that “face masks were only needed by special groups of people such as medical staff and the sick,” commented Xinhua. Wearing a mask used to be stigmatized, but people are coming to realize that it can provide protection from infection. On April 4, Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said that he wore a face mask when shopping. “I wear a mask. This is an idea that came from my grandchildren. He learned from the Chinese example. China has another tradition of using masks,” the 71-year-old president was quoted by the Lusa news agency as saying in a report. On March 30, Austria introduced a regulation, which requires people to wear a face mask before entering supermarkets. Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said that the goal was for people to wear them elsewhere in public as well, according to China Daily. “I am fully aware that masks are alien to our culture,” he said. “This will require a big adjustment.” Wearing masks became mandatory in the Czech Republic on March 18, and Prime Minister Andrej Babis has recommended this practice to European and US leaders. In the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) originally stated that “You do not need to wear a face mask unless you are caring for someone who is sick.” However, contrary to their former guidelines, President Donald Trump said on April 3 that the CDC now recommends that people wear face coverings made of fabric or cloth, which can be made at home, when out in public. Michael Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organization health emergencies program, said on April 3 that the global health body supports governments in using masks as part of their anti-virus strategies. “There may be situations where the wearing of masks may reduce the rate at which infected individuals may infect others,” Ryan said. “We will support governments who wish to have a measured approach to the use of masks and who include that as part of the comprehensive strategy to control this disease.” ![]() (Translator & Editor: Wang Xingwei AND Luo Sitian)
https://www.i21st.cn/story/3505.html |
辞海拾贝
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