The use of a mask is now mandatory in Madeira for professionals in activities that involve contact with the public, a measure determined by the Regional Government Council on the 18th.

The president of the Madeiran executive, Miguel Albuquerque, then announced that the mask would “become mandatory from 00:00 on April 22 for professionals and personnel from all activities with contact with the public”, such as supermarkets, in context of containment of the covid-19 pandemic.

The official argued that “it has recently been proven that the use of masks by the community contributes positively to reduce the risks of contagion”.

“In this way, we recommend the use of masks by the entire population, depending on how we mitigate restrictive measures”, he said.

However, he warned, the masks do not dispense with social and prophylactic isolation in suspected cases, social distance, frequent hand washing, respiratory etiquette, cleaning of spaces and disinfection of surfaces, non-compliance with physical contact and not staying in very frequented and closed places.

“The government and regional health authorities, based on scientific studies and examples from other countries, strongly recommend the use of protective masks for the general population, adding this measure to the other preventive measures in force”, explained the President of the Government Regional.

The Madeiran executive even ordered the manufacture of reusable masks to be distributed to the entire population of the archipelago, free of charge, at an average of two per household.

The masks started to be distributed on March 17th by CTT and will reach the 54 parishes of the archipelago, but the first to receive them are those of Monte and Imaculado Coração de Maria, in the municipality of Funchal.

The director of this CTT operation in Madeira considered that this was “an unprecedented distribution”.

Madeira maintains other measures to contain the pandemic, such as controlling external accessibility, closing ports and marinas in the region, and severely restricting air accessibility, with mandatory quarantine for disembarked passengers, as well as temperature control. .

Due to the increase in the number of cases in the parish of Câmara de Lobos, seat of the municipality with the same name, a sanitary fence was decreed in this parish, in force since Sunday and for 15 days.

Meanwhile, on Monday the activities of the extractive, manufacturing, civil construction and related industries were reopened, which will have to comply with “strict and imperative operating measures, either in terms of the respective companies’ contingency plans or in accordance with the recommendations regional health authority “.

These measures concern, in particular, the transportation of professionals, social distance, temperature control, acts of personal and collective hygiene, periodic disinfection of workplaces and dining places and the mandatory use of a mask.

As for the reopening of commercial activity and provision of services, the executive indicated that at the end of this week he will assess the situation and “take the appropriate measures”.

Madeira did not register new cases of covid-19 on Tuesday, with a total of 85 people infected in the archipelago, of which three are hospitalized and 13 have recovered.

Taken from JM