Outdoor masks for Christmas, mayors ask for obligation: divided experts

Mayors pressing for the obligation of outdoor masks in view of Christmas, to avoid a peak of infections near the holidays. Many cities have already adopted the measure but the request is for a national measure. “We are reflecting, but in the event of gathering outdoors, the obligation to wear a mask is already foreseen and therefore it is reasonable to think that during the days of Christmas shopping with the inevitable gatherings, the obligation may trigger. we are reflecting “says Undersecretary for Health Andrea Costa, guest of ‘Radio Anch’io’ on Rai Radio 1. Experts are divided on the question. For Walter Ricciardi, councilor for the pandemic of the Minister of Health Roberto Speranza and professor of Hygiene at the Catholic University of Rome, “the request of the mayors is a rational request, in fact in this way it is possible to avoid that, as often happens, walking around street or while shopping you can come into contact and, if you are without a mask, there is a high risk of contagion with this variant “. “Wearing it, on the other hand, can protect us from a too high increase in infections that then press the emergency rooms of hospitals” says Ricciardi guest of ‘Agorà’ on RaiTre. “Absolutely agree with the mayors’ request” Massimo Andreoni, head of infectious disease at the Tor Vergata Polyclinic in Rome and scientific director of the Italian Society of Infectious and Tropical Diseases (Simit), for which “it is necessary to immediately put back the obligation to wear a mask outdoors to try to reduce the risk of contagion as much as possible. especially with Omicron we don’t mess around – underlines Adnkronos Salute – The device can help us as it has already done “. For Matteo Bassetti, head of the infectious diseases department of the San Martino hospital in Genoa,” the obligation to wear an outdoor mask tout court for everyone with fines from 400 to 3 thousand euros is an anachronistic thing. I do not agree with this measure, yet another opposition and attitude of being strong with the weak and eboli con i forti – comments Adnkronos Salute – Harassment of those who do not deserve all this “.” In recent weeks we have not checked any of those who had a loaned Green pass and who went to the cinema or the theater – remarks Bassetti – Instead, now if one goes for a walk on his own and finds the policeman stiff, he gets a 3 thousand euro fine if he is without a mask. So they are measures that do not help people to understand, while masks should be recommended if there are gatherings even outdoors. Fines of thousands of euros are wrong. You have to work to make it clear that the mask is needed but one thing is to say that by law you have to put it on and pass on the message that saves life: it is the vaccine that saves life. And the mayors do not seem to me to have worked on this front. “” We doctors treat patients, suggest appropriate treatments and follow science but we certainly do not act as public administrators. I understand the concern of the mayors to see the historic centers of many art cities empty during the Christmas holidays, but it is not going around with the mask that we solve the problem, otherwise we would have already solved it – says the Immunologist to Adnkronos Health. Mauro Minelli, head of the Foundation for Personalized Medicine for Southern Italy – I suggest to every mayor, as the highest health authority in the area, to activate tools, opportunities and facilities to promote vaccination on a huge scale, putting his face to it with campaigns of awareness and information. We doctors are available on this “.” Obviously there is no objection to the use of masks and other protective devices – continues the immunologist – But let’s not make a mantra of it, especially in open spaces where we have already defined the risk of contagion as remote. We therefore continue to keep unchanged the already known ordinary prevention measures which provide, in addition to the use of masks, especially in confined spaces, the prohibition of gathering, frequent cleaning of the hands, but mainly let’s focus on strengthening the Green pass and on the acceleration to be given. at third doses and vaccinations from 5 years upwards. Without hesitation and avoiding the use of non-decisive solutions “.