Did you know? Four countries in the world have gone almost mask-free

It seems a long way off for India – to be able to throw away their masks and move around without fear of catching stray aerosols loaded with the infectious coronavirus hanging in the air. But, a few countries in the world, who have managed to bring their COVID-19 cases under control and vaccinated most of their  population, have stopped enforcing the rule to wear masks.

One of the first countries in the world to declare it was COVID-free was Israel. People in Israel do not have to wear face masks while outdoors in public places. It’s primarily because Israel got their COVID cases under control and more than a majority of their population has been vaccinated against COVID-19, said a Times of India report.

Also read: Second COVID wave killed 270 Indian doctors, 50 died in single day: IMA

India’s neighbouring Himalayan kingdom too won its battle against COVID because it managed to quickly vaccinate nearly 90 per cent of its adult population. According to experts, the country succeeded in keeping the disease at bay through an attentive leadership, providing economic and social support to citizens to follow public-health guidance and a sense of shared responsibility that permeates Bhutanese culture.

Further, the Times of India report stated that the USA too has allowed its citizens to drop their masks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently announced that Americans who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus need not wear a mask outdoors, while walking, running, hiking or biking alone or when in small gatherings. However, people have to wear masks in crowded outdoor venues.

New Zealand has become some sort of a model for good governance during the pandemic so much so that memes asking if they could loan their Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern to India, got popular. People in that country are mask free and are happily attending concerts.