Italy drops COVID-19 face mask rule for public transport

A Carabiniere checks a passenger's coronavirus disease (COVID-19) health pass, known as a Green Pass, aboard a bus the day the government restricts access of unvaccinated to indoor venues, in Rome, Italy December 6, 2021. Picture taken through glass. REUTERS/Yara Nardi

Italians will no longer have to wear face masks on public transport, the health ministry said late on Thursday, in the latest easing of rules against the coronavirus pandemic.

The ministry said a decree requiring mask wearing on trains, buses and ferries, expiring on Friday, would not be renewed. The obligation was extended, however, for hospitals and care homes.

Italy is one of the countries worst-hit by the pandemic, having reported more than 177,000 deaths from COVID-19 since the start of its outbreak early in 2020.

(Reporting by Alvise Armellini; Editing by Gavin Jones)