Coronavirus: Japan has dropped its outdoor mask mandate, but the message has not filtered through to the public


Source: scmp.com scmp.com

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When the coronavirus pandemic began over two years ago, people in Japan quickly donned masks en masse with little complaint. But now the government has relaxed its guidance on outdoor mask usage, the message appears not be to filtering through. On May 23, the ministry of health changed its advice to approve removing face coverings outside provided people maintain 2 metres distance from each other and do not converse. Quiet, spacious indoor environments can also be used mask-free, it said. But Tokyo’s streets have since shown few signs of a mass unmasking, in an outcome anticipated by a survey released...