The main changes, particularly in areas of community or collective transmission, are the wider use of masks in healthcare centres and specifications on use of non-medical masks for the general public.

WHO recommendations

  • The WHO continues to advice that everyone with a suspect or confirmation of infection, or who is waiting for the test results, should wear a ´mask when in presence of other people, and this does not apply to those who wait the results only to can travel. In all other cases, WHO suggests that the general public wear non-surgical masks.
  • In areas of known or suspected transmission of the new coronavirus, “WHO recommends that everyone wear a mask, inside or even outside, where the physical distance of at least one meter can’t be maintained”, suggest the new recommendations.
  • In health centers, all people inside should follow this rule.
  • People admitted in the hospital should wear a mask when physical distance can’t be kept or when they are outside their treatment areas.
  • The WHO reports that in closed spaces with several people, everyone “should wear a mask, unless ventilation is assessed as adequate”.
  • In the case of receiving visits at home, “people should wear a mask when receiving guests if they can’t keep their distance or assess ventilation is good” the document states.
  • The WHO also recommends that people do not wear masks during vigorous physical activities.
  • Another alteration is the fact that the WHO discourages the production and use of masks with exhalation valves because they “bypass the filtering function of the fabric mask”.

The previous update of WHO recommendations on mask use was on 5 June.