Masks outdoors no longer necessary in Beijing

A man and a boy wear face masks as a precaution against the COVID-19 coronavirus as they wait to cross a road in Beijing on May 15, 2020. AFP/Greg Baker via China Daily/Asia News Network

BEIJING — After months of wearing masks to prevent virus infection risks, people can breathe freely outside without a mask in China’s capital, Beijing, according to new guidance from the Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control released on Sunday.

The center said people don’t need to wear masks outside, but still should avoid close contact with others.

It also encourages the public can take some outdoor exercise when the weather is good, which is helpful to increase the quality of life and health.

A total of five new confirmed cases of the coronavirus infection were reported Saturday on the Chinese mainland, bringing the number up to 82,947, along with no fatalities, according to the National Health Commission.

Northeast China’s Jilin province reported three locally transmitted cases, along with South China’s Guangdong province and Tianjin each detecting one overseas infection, bringing the imported case tally to 1,700 as of Saturday midnight, the commission said.

Of the 1,700 imported cases, 44 patients were still under treatment, including three severe cases, while a total of 1,656 patients had been discharged from the hospital after recovery by the end of Saturday, with no deaths reported.

Health authorities said 4,724 close contacts were still under medical observation. On Saturday, 633 people were discharged from medical observation.