With the end of mandatory wearing of masks in almost all areas of public life, concerns arose that anyone who still wants to protect themselves with them could be committing a criminal offence: because this means that the ban on masking applies again in Austria. Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) is now commenting on this for the first time.
Since 1 March, travelers on public transport have been able to clash with the police. The reason for this is the so-called Anti-Face Covering Act (AGesVG), which came into effect in 2017 by the then Minister of Integration Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) in the sense of a burqa ban.
Since then, all those who who cover or hide their features with clothing or other objects in such a way that they are no longer recognizable. There are only a few exceptions, for example when playing sports or for health reasons – for the latter, however, the police require a medical certificate before the outbreak of the pandemic.
Rauch assures: Wearing a mask “NO offense”
Should those people who want to continue to protect themselves against contamination with a face mask be criminalized now? Not at all, as the Minister of Health stressed on Friday. Wearing a mask is “NOT a mask ban violation,” Rauch said on Twitter. “Whoever wears a mask voluntarily protects himself and others.”
To ensure this is legally guaranteed, the Ministry of the Interior is already working on a corresponding clarification, he continued. However, Rauch does not explain why this was not taken into account when the measure was lifted.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
