As India's COVID-19 battle rages on, list of nations that have removed mandatory mask laws

As India still struggles to battle the second wave of COVID, many countries across the world are moving towards mask-free and Coronavirus free nations. Some countries have successfully won the pandemic crisis and are managing to keep up the recovery process. Here's a list of countries where people are living a pre-pandemic life in a post- COVID situation. 

USA

In April, President Joe Biden had said that  Americans vaccinated against COVID-19 no longer need to mask up outdoors when there is no crowd. Later in May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the month of May, put a halt to the mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinated people, allowing them to stop wearing masks outdoors in crowds and in most indoor settings. Fully vaccinated people were however required to wear masks on aeroplanes, buses, trains, and other public transportation. To date, the US has reported a total of 3.35 Cr COVID active cases and 6.01 lakh deaths.

China

China is the country where the first case of Coronavirus infection was reported, it also happens to be one of the first to go mask-free. Although masking up was once required at all public venues, authorities now say people don’t need to do so while outdoors, at public gatherings or when they’re in places that have good air circulation. Still, people are subjected to mandatory mask-wearing rules nationwide at hospitals and transport hubs. The new guidelines also suggested people who have a fever or respiratory symptoms avoid attending gatherings. So far, 91,534 COVID cases are reported in China and 4,636 deaths.

New Zealand

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern received praises for handling the pandemic situation so well. It’s because of the government's quick actions and decisions, New Zealand today is mask-free. To date, the country has reported just 2,714 COVID cases and 26 deaths.

Israel

Israel was the first country to remove the mandatory face mask rule as in April, it declared itself COVID-free. So far, Israel’s 70% of the population has been vaccinated. The country reported no new COVID-19 cases since April 24 as the lockdown measures curbed the infection. To date, Israel has reported a total of 3.44 lakh COVID cases and 6,427 deaths. 

Bhutan

Bhutan was able to combat the novel coronavirus without even going under a lockdown, despite sharing its border with China. Bhutan won the battle against Covid through timely actions, preventive measures, and its vaccination drive which was able to vaccinate more than 90 per cent of its adult population in just two weeks. The country has reported 1,882 deaths and 1 death. 

(Image Credit: UNSPLASH)