Where in Europe does masking still apply now?

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With the end of April, the last mask obligation falls in Austria. But how does it look in the neighbouring countries?

After three years of the coronavirus pandemic, the time has come: by June 30, 2023, all corona crisis measures will be ended in Austria. These include the FFP2 mask requirement in Vienna’s public transport and pharmacies, which is even to be dropped as early as the end of February. Those in hospitals, older adults’ homes and nursing homes, which apply throughout the country, will be history at the end of April.

In addition, vaccinations, tests and medications will be integrated into the regular structures of the Austrian healthcare system. This means the virus will be treated like any other disease in the future.

While Austria is only now beginning to lift the last of the Corona measures, other countries have long since overturned them. For example, in Italy, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Lithuania, Finland, Estonia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Iceland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovenia and Bulgaria, mouth-nose protection no longer has to be worn since 2022.

In some EU countries, the mask requirement only applies to medical facilities. These include Belgium, Croatia, Poland, Portugal, Turkey, Hungary, Slovakia, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Cyprus and, more recently, Spain, where the measure was not lifted for public transport until February 8, 2023. In Switzerland, not all but some cantons continue to uphold the mask requirement in hospitals and nursing homes. Germany also has a mandatory wearing requirement in these areas at the federal level.

Greece remains the only European country to maintain mandatory mask use on public transportation (and in healthcare facilities). Those who do not wear a mask must pay a fine of 300 euros.