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 Despite the relaxed guidelines, a large proportion of people
continued to wear masks in Beijing on Friday.
Some said the mask made them feel safe, while others said social
pressures to wear the masks were also a factor.
"I think I can take off my mask anytime, but I'll need to see if
others accept it. Because I'm afraid that people would be scared if
they see me not wearing mask," one 24-year old Beijing woman
surnamed Cao told Reuters.
It's the second time Beijing's health authorities have relaxed
guidelines on mask wearing in the capital, which has largely
returned to normal after two rounds of lockdowns brought it to a
standstill.
Beijing's municipal Centers for Disease Control first said residents
could go without masks in outdoor areas in late April, though the
rules were swiftly reversed in June after a new outbreak in a large
wholesale market in the city's south.
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China has reported no new locally transmitted cases on the mainland for five
days after successfully controlling flare ups in the capital, Xinjiang and
elsewhere.
Experts say the key to the country's success in controlling the disease has been
the strict enforcement of local rules, including wearing masks, mandatory home
quarantine and participating in mass testing.
Authorities reported 22 imported cases in the mainland on for Aug. 20, and has
closed its borders to most non-Chinese citizens. The country has reported a
total of 84,917 cases since the outbreak began.
(Reporting by Thomas Suen; Writing by Cate Cadell; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
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