Italy Says Masks No Longer Compulsory From June 28

The lifting of mask requirement would come into effect in regions labelled "white" (which includes all of Italy except Aosta Valley) under a new classification system, said the health minister.

Facemasks will no longer be compulsory in Italy, one of the countries in Europe worst hit by the coronavirus, from June 28, the health ministry said Monday. The lifting of the mask requirement would come into effect in regions labelled "white" under Italy's classification system for how rapidly the virus is spreading, Health Minister Roberto Speranza wrote on Facebook. This includes all Italian regions except the tiny Aosta Valley in the far northwest. Speranza's announcement came on advice from Italy's Comitato Tecnico Scientifico (CTS) scientific advisory panel, which said people should still have masks at hand for events with higher risk of spreading the virus like large gatherings.