Mask

Tens of millions of North Americans are at risk of poor air quality from raging wildfires in Canada.

Authorities in New York are starting to distribute free masks today. In a phone conversation with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, US President Joe Biden offered additional help to deal with forest fires.

The use of face masks against Covid-19 has ceased to be compulsory on public transport in Greece.

Masks became obligatory on public transport in April 2020.

The government announced an end to the requirement on March 14, explaining that it would take effect on March 27. 

The fines given to those who violated the face mask mandate amid the pandemic will be canceled, as per the latest additions in the omnibus bill, which the Justice and Development Party (AKP) will present to the parliament.

The penalties applied to those who did not wear masks will be removed in accordance with the 90-article omnibus bill presented by the AKP to the parliament.

Wearing of masks became mandatory in Bulgaria with the introduction of the new anti-epidemic measures on August 4, 2022. They were supposed to be in effect until August 18 but were extended for 7 days.

The increase in the number of COVID-19 cases fuels the virus' mutation, an expert has said, urging people to wear face masks to limit the spread of the virus.

"The rise in infections also accelerates the emergence of new mutations," said Faruk Yorulmaz, a professor from Trakya University.

Wearing protective masks will only be required in medical facilities, pharmacies, opticians, specialized institutions providing social services and in public transport.

While Turkey has lifted the outdoor mask mandate fully and the indoor mask mandate partially, implemented only in public transportation and hospitals, some young people "obsessed with beauty" continue to wear masks to cover "flaws on their faces," according to experts.

Ljubljana – As part of Slovenian schoolchildren start their winter break, the newspaper Delo welcomes the easing of Covid-19 restrictions but regrets masks at schools have not been abolished as well. “The only thing that remains is masks. 84,694 primary and 34,350 secondary students from eastern Slovenia will have them on their faces for a whole week longer.

The sales of protective face masks, used against COVID-19, have declined by half in Istanbul compared with the start of the pandemic, according to pharmacists in the country's most populous city.

The women's teams of Canada and the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) played their match from the Beijing Olympics with medical masks under their hockey helmets. And during the match, there were contradictory events that shifted the focus from the game.

The North Americans won 6-1, which is not surprising, as the difference in classes between the two teams is still quite large.