- The Ministry of Health in Poland made the face-covering mandatory due to the spreading COVID-19 infection.
- Cover your face with a mask, or any other homemade piece of fabric/other material.
- Covering mouth and nose is also obligatory in motor vehicles if driving with people you don’t live with.
The obligation to wear masks in public places, or to cover the mouth and nose in another way, applies from Thursday, April 16, 2020.
Health Minister Szumowski emphasized that the new requirement can be met by covering the nose and mouth with a protective mask, but also with a scarf, for instance.
‘Today, when there are more and more people sick in Poland, sometimes asymptomatic, it helps protect not us, who will wear these masks and scarves, but others from us. Therefore, from Thursday, such an obligation will be for everyone in public space,’ added the Head of the Ministry of Health Łukasz Szumowski.
What is considered to be public places?
The new regulations imply public places, such as roads, squares, in religious facilities, commercial facilities, and in market places.
Covering the mouth and nose is also required in green areas, in particular: in parks, green areas, promenades, boulevards, botanical, zoological, and historic gardens, as well as on beaches.
The obligation also applies when staying in forest areas, in particular: in forest parking lots, vehicle parking places, forest education places, small forest infrastructure places, and camping sites.
Basically, we suggest covering the nose and mouth everywhere outside your apartment / house or the vehicle (if you drive alone or with your cohabitants).
According to the order, the obligation to cover the nose and mouth also applies to public transport.
Should I cover the face in motor vehicles?
Yes, if you drive with people you don’t live with.
You don’t have to wear a mask when:
- you drive a car by yourself without passengers,
- you drive with the people you live with, and the vehicle is structurally designed to transport no more than 9 people including the driver.
In the case of the need to identify a person, one may request that the mouth and nose be discovered.
The regulation is obligatory until further notice.
Why should I cover my face?
If you still have hesitations about the effectiveness and benefits of mask-wearing, have a look at the post prepared by Brad Feld, Managing Director at Foundry Group – Please Wear a DIY Cloth Mask in Public.
