There is intense concern due to the increased cases of coronavirus that have been recorded in recent days, with civil protection secretary Nikos Hardalias announcing yesterday the extension of the mandatory use of a mask almost ... everywhere. From elevators to banks.

With some countries feeling the worst of the coronavirus is now behind them, lockdowns are being eased, though face masks are being compulsory in certain situations. Austria, Germany and France are among the countries making masks compulsory on public transport or shopping with high rates of compliance reported in most places. Other countries have been slower to embrace face masks, particularly the United States, where the debate about their effectiveness is still ongoing.

The obligatory use of facial masks or covers once restrictions are gradually rolled back as of May 4 follows the most recent data on the Covid-19 pandemic, the Health Ministry's novel coronavirus spokesman Sotiris Tsiodras said on Wednesday.