Berlin, Aug. 14 (BNA): A majority in Germany still supports wearing face masks on public transport, a poll showed, as the government debates draft legislation aimed at updating regulations for dealing with the coronavirus pandemic in the fall and diaspora. winter.
According to a survey conducted by the opinion research institute YouGov on behalf of the dpa, 63% of respondents support the mask requirement on public transport.
About 58% supported mandatory face masks on long-distance train journeys and flights, while 24% said they were completely against the requirement, according to the German news agency (dpa).
When it comes to wearing face masks in public, for example in stores, support for mask requirements was slightly lower, with around 46% in favor.
Only 29% said that face masks should also be mandatory in schools.
The poll found that support for the measure varies widely according to voter affiliation, with Green Party supporters overwhelmingly in favor of wearing face masks. Meanwhile, the approval rate was lowest among people who voted for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the last federal election. Of those, 51% said they were against the mask mandate.
Last week, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach and Justice Minister Marco Buschmann introduced new coronavirus measures that will take effect in the fall, German news agency dpa reported.
Among other things, their project calls for masks to remain mandatory on long-distance trains and planes across the country, along with rules requiring the wearing of masks in hospitals and care facilities.
State governments have to decide for themselves whether they will also require masks in indoor areas accessible to the public.
The proposal still needs approval from the Cabinet and Parliament.
For the survey, YouGov polled 2,039 people between August 5-10.