A passenger checks in at the Santos Dumont airport in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Aug. 18, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Tiancong)
BRASILIA, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's National Health Regulatory Agency (Anvisa) on Wednesday lifted the mandatory use of face masks in Brazilian airports and on flights, due to the current COVID-19 epidemiological situation.
However, Anvisa said it continues to recommend the use of face masks and social distancing as they are effective measures to mitigate the risk of disease transmission.
"Given the current situation, the use of masks that was adopted as a collective health measure will become an individual protection measure," it said.
In May, Anvisa authorized the resumption of food services on airliners, as well as maximum passenger capacity, but maintained the use of face masks on planes and in restricted airport areas.
As of Tuesday, the South American country had registered 34.2 million COVID-19 cases and 682,010 related deaths, with an average of 176 deaths per day in the last week. ■
Passengers are seen at the Santos Dumont airport in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Aug. 18, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Tiancong)
