ROME, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- Wearing face masks outdoor to limit the spread of the coronavirus will be compulsory again in the Lazio region surrounding the Italian capital, regardless of possible social distancing, local authorities announced on Friday.
The provision will enter into force on Saturday, according to a decree passed by the regional government.
"The obligation will not apply to children under 6 years of age, to those with underlying health conditions incompatible with the use of a mask, and to those playing sporting activities," regional governor Nicola Zingaretti wrote on Facebook after signing the decree.
"Considering the increase in the contagion curve, we must raise our guard and our prevention efforts," Zingaretti said.
Lazio, which comprises Rome, has been the region recording the highest daily increase in new COVID-19 infections in recent weeks, along with southern Campania (around Naples), according to official statistics.
Authorities in Campania had introduced the same step in late September in a similar effort to slow down the local contagion.
The two regions will thus differ from the rest of Italy, where the national emergency legislation, for now, requires people to wear masks outdoor only "in places where a gathering of people can be expected" and wherever the 1-meter social safety distance cannot be respected.
However, neither Lazio nor Campania had the highest number of COVID-19 cases, considering Italy's overall pandemic picture. That record belongs to Lombardy, Piedmont, Emilia Romagna, and Veneto regions.
Zingaretti also announced one million rapid saliva tests were bought to carry out testing among pupils through a pilot project run by public health authorities and due to start next Tuesday.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), face masks should be used as part of a comprehensive strategy of measures to suppress COVID-19 transmission and save lives.
Since the beginning of the pandemic in early 2020, wearing masks in public has been widely accepted in Asian countries such as China, South Korea, Japan, and Vietnam to limit the spread of COVID-19. Enditem
