Prague --Anyone interested in a real world case study on the extraordinary effectiveness of face masks in suppressing the spread of the coronavirus need look no farther than Prague. In this capital city of 1.3 million, among the first in Europe to decree mandatory universal mask-wearing almost four months ago, life has now returned to normal.
All of Prague’s shops, restaurants, schools and offices are open, and the government has lifted the last remaining restrictions on large public gatherings. Commerce is flourishing. Face mask-wearing has all but disappeared.
The city recently celebrated what many here see as the end of the pandemic with a giant open-air dinner for 2,000 people clustered around a 515-meter-long table spanning the historic Charles Bridge — with no masks and no social-distancing.
How did Prague achieve this success? And what does it mean for countries like the United States still struggling to bring down surging infection numbers?
Czech leaders, including the prime minister, interior minister and health minister, set a proper example by wearing masks, appeared on television to urge the nation to make this collective sacrifice. The government widely circulated a persuasive video articulating the philosophy of “my mask protects you, your mask protects me."
People responded positively...
User is not a member of any group.
User is not a member of any group.
There are currently 0 users online.
