Even as the European Union executive announced last Wednesday new guidelines recommending the use of face masks in places like airports, planes, and hotels, Sweden has rejected its widespread use by members of the public, claiming masks are of little use in preventing the spread of COVID-19.
In new guidance issued on May 13 to help European countries safely resume travel and reboot the continent’s tourism industry, the European Commission (EC), the bloc’s executive body, urged the use of face masks in transport hubs, vehicles used for collective transport, and hospitality establishments. The EC qualified references to face masks in its guidance documents, saying that the measure was complementary to core protective behaviors like social distancing.