By mid-May 2022, dozens of countries had lifted the mandatory use of face masks outdoors.
Interestingly, in several countries, the use of masks remained unmandatory even though Covid-19 transmission was quite high, exceeding 1,000 new cases per day.
Below is a list of 9 countries that have lifted the mandatory use of masks, along with their daily Covid-19 case additions as of May 17, 2022:
* United States: 112,487 new cases
* South Korea: 31,315 new cases
* Finland: 16,973 new cases
* Brazil: 13,510 new cases
* United Kingdom: 8,596 new cases
* Uruguay: 5,538 new cases
* Ireland: 2,680 new cases
* Sweden: 1,804 new cases
* Netherlands: 1,312 new cases
The above-mentioned countries generally have a fairly high Covid-19 full vaccination rate, ranging from 75% to 86%.
Except for the United States, which has a full Covid-19 vaccination rate of only 66%.
Indonesia also lifted the mandatory use of masks outdoors starting today, Wednesday (May 18, 2022). As of today, the full Covid-19 vaccination rate in Indonesia is recorded at around 60%.
Meanwhile, Covid-19 infections in Indonesia increased by 327 cases on Wednesday (May 18, 2022), up from 247 new cases the previous day.
(Also Read: Majority of the Public Wore Masks in Crowded Areas During Eid al-Fitr Homecoming)