The National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) determined on Wednesday, August 17, that the use of masks, as protection against Covid-19, is no longer mandatory on planes and in airports in Brazil. However, the agency states that masks are still recommended in public spaces such as those mentioned.
The measure will come into effect when published in the Official Gazette of the Union, which is expected to happen in the coming days.
Brazil follows the path of other countries, such as the United States, which stopped requiring masks on aircraft in April 2022, and the European Union, which also suspended the obligation to wear them in May of this year. However, some countries in the bloc, such as Germany, Spain, and Greece, maintained the need for this protective item.
But not all measures adopted in 2020 have been changed. Here’s how the rules for aircraft and airports in Brazil stand:
Not mandatory
• Use of masks
• Social distancing
Mandatory
• Disembarkation by row
• Hand sanitizer on flights
• Sanitization of airplanes
• Ventilation filter systems
Changes also in the United States
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently suspended restrictive measures, such as quarantines and social distancing, to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
In new guidelines released on Thursday, August 11, the agency stated that it is no longer necessary to stay at least 6 feet away from others to reduce the risk of exposure to the virus – a change from the guidance that had been in effect since the early days of the pandemic.
According to the agency, now, more than two years after the emergence of the pandemic, almost the entire population of the U.S. has at least some immunity against the virus, whether through vaccination, previous infection, or, in some cases, both.
However, these new guidelines maintain some measures. People who test positive for Covid-19 should stay home isolated for at least five days and wear a mask when around others for 10 days. The agency also continues to recommend that people wear masks in indoor settings in about half of the country.