Russians will be able to stop wearing medical masks in 2021, says watchdog specialist

MOSCOW, February 8. /TASS/. Russians will be able to stop wearing medical masks at public places this year, if they continue to observe coronavirus pandemic-related preventive measures, the deputy chief for clinical and epidemiological work of the consumer rights watchdog Rospotrebnadzor’s Central Research Institute of Epidemiology, Natalya Pshenichnaya, told TASS on Monday. "There is no place for laxity. All preventive measures taken against COVID-19 must be observed. In that case we will have good prospects for cancelling the mandatory wearing of masks. Largely it depends on ourselves," she said. Pshenichaya speculated that the epidemic would die down when 60%-70% of the population had immunity against the coronavirus. Earlier, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told TASS that it might be possible to cancel the mandatory wearing of masks in August. Read more