Cyprus brings back face masks a month after scrapping them

Cyprus opts for a mask reinstatement amidst rising COVID-19 cases in the country

Cyprus ordered the reintroduction of face masks to combat COVID-19 on Wednesday, just over a month after scrapping the requirement, as infections spiked again.

The requirement to wear a face mask in indoor areas comes into effect on Friday, Health Minister Michalis Hadjipantela said.

Health experts recommended the step after a spate of infections from people who were not taking the proper precautions, the Cypriot official said after a cabinet meeting.

Cyprus had lifted the mask wearing requirement in most areas on June 1.

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Andreas Raounas, 84, the first patient in Island receives from a nurse the vaccine of Pfizer BioNtech against the COVID-19, at a care home in Nicosia, Cyprus, Sunday, Dec. 27, 2020. Cyprus started today the vaccination program against COVID-19. (Katia Christodoulou/Pool Photo via AP) (Katia Christodoulou/Pool Photo via AP))

Cyprus no longer reports daily infections. It had reported 10,879 new cases of COVID-19 for the week ending July 1, compared with 7,263 in the previous week.

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A Los Angeles Metro bus with an electronic display requiring a face mask is seen as the driver pulls out of a bus stop in Los Angeles on Tuesday, April 19, 2022. A federal judge's decision to strike down a national mask mandate was met with cheers on some airplanes but also concern about whether it's really time to end the order sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel) (AP)

"The situation is under control," Hadjipantela said.

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Since the coronavirus was first identified on the island in March 2020, it has recorded 1,075 deaths.

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GRANTS PASS, OR - SEPTEMBER 09: (EDITOR'S NOTE: EDITORIAL USE ONLY.) An Oregon National Guardsman works with hospital staff at an intake station at Three Rivers Asante Medical Center on September 9, 2021 in Grants Pass, Oregon. Like many hospitals in the state, Three Rivers Asante is facing their largest COVID-19 surge of the pandemic, forcing them to operate well above capacity.  (Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images) (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

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