One in three wants to loosen or abolish mandatory masks

Berlin (dpa) - A third of Germans want to abolish or at least loosen the mask requirement in the corona crisis. 19 percent of the participants in a representative online survey conducted by the opinion institute YouGov on behalf of the German Press Agency called for an abolition.

Another 14 percent of the 2056 respondents are in favor of relaxation. To contain the corona virus, an obligation to wear a mouth-nose protective mask in local public transport and when shopping has been in place for weeks. According to the Federal Center for Health Education, cloth masks do not offer proven protection for the wearer, but can reduce the risk of infection from droplets for others. Nevertheless, a minimum distance of 1.50 meters from other people should be maintained.

However, a clear majority of the respondents spoke in favor of the mask requirement. 49 percent said that the target should be kept in its current form. 13 percent are in favor of expanding to other areas. In eastern Germany, more people pleaded for loosening or abolition than in western Germany.

According to their own statements, four out of five Germans (81 percent) always adhere to the obligation to wear a mask, another 13 percent partially. Only two percent said they didn't do that at all. Accordingly, older people adhered to the rules rather than younger ones.

Advice from the Robert Koch Institute on the use of masks

Federal Center for Health Education on Masks

Federal government on corona regulations