After almost two years of having to wear masks in public spaces, people can now breathe a sigh of relief as the mandate has been lifted.

The mandate, which came into effect in August 2020, was one of several measures implemented by the government to combat the spread of covid19.

The Prime Minister announced on July 2, 2022 that by mid-July, the wearing of masks in public will no longer be mandatory, meaning that people will not be liable to being charged by the police and fined $1,000 for the offence if found guilty.

On July 6, at a covid19 virtual press conference, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh clarified that the mandate would be lifted on July 17, with a caveat.

Under the ministry’s guidelines, which were issued via its website on Wednesday, masking will remain mandatory during visits to public health facilities.

It advised people to weigh their risks when deciding to unmask in certain situations and places, and recommended that the unvaccinated, who make up at least 49 per cent of the population, should still wear masks.

It added other groups, such as the immunocompromised, people at geriatric and children’s homes, those travelling in public transportation, and people attending religious services or generally congregating indoors with inadequate ventilation, should also follow suit.

He said the ministry felt the healthcare system would be able to deal with any spike in covid19 cases resulting from the lifting of this final restriction.

Some private companies have already noted that it would remain mandatory to wear masks at the workplace as a health and safety requirement while businesses such as supermarkets intend to continue its frequent sanitising and promote physical distancing among shoppers.

However, the lifting of the mandate is coming at a time when the World Health Organization (WHO) is recommending governments "return to face masks."

At a news conference in Geneva on July 12, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed concern about the continued rise in covid19 cases around the world and the resulting pressure on already stretched health systems and health care workers.

[caption id="attachment_965088" align="alignnone" width="1024"] In March 2020, restaurants and food courts, like this one in Trincity Mall, packed away tables and chairs as in-house dining was banned as part of covid19 regulations. FILE PHOTO[/caption]

He said sub-variants of Omicron, like BA.4 and BA.5, were causing more cases, hospitalisation and deaths; surveillance, including testing and sequencing, was significantly reduced; diagnostics, treatments and vaccines were not being deployed effectively; and there was a major disconnect in covid19 risk perception between scientific communities, political leaders and the general public.

"As transmission and hospitalisations rise, governments must also deploy tried and tested measures like masking, improved ventilation and test and treat protocols. I urge governments to regularly review and adjust their covid19 response plans based on the