Medical masks and respirators will be required in public places as of January 25

RIGA - Only medical masks or respirators of at least FFP2 class will be required in public places as of January 25, replacing reusable cloth masks, according to the amendments adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers today.

At the same time, schoolchildren up to the age of 12 will be allowed to use cloth masks at school and in public transport.

According to the amendments, it will not be allowed for pupils of grades 1-3 not to use face masks during the education process. It will not be allowed for a fully vaccinated group of people not to use masks when working or studying together or when attending extracurricular activities. Due to the rapid spread of Covid-19 omicron variant, such situations when people get together and do not use masks are not allowed any more.

State Chancellery director and Operational Management Group head Janis Citskovskis said that poor people will be supplied with 50 masks, which have been estimated to last for about two months.

The Health Ministry explained that the studies show that efficiency of medical masks reaches 90 percent. Medical masks and respirators are standardized and are produced in line with certain requirements, while production of non-medical masks is not standardized, therefore their efficiency cannot be tested and protection cannot be guaranteed.