The Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC) announced that given the changes established by the Ministry of Health on the measures to control the Covid-19 pandemic, the use of face masks in airports and on board a plane, it will no longer be mandatory as of this Wednesday.
The New Normal Committeemade up of the Secretaries of Health, Economy, Labor, and the IMSS, through the agreement published in the Official Gazette of the Federation on October 7, updated the “Guidelines for the Healthy Continuity of Economic Activities before Covid-19 ”, which, among other aspects, modified the guidelines for the use of face masks in open and closed spaces, in which it suggested “preserving the use of face masks in closed spaces that are not ventilated or have little ventilation.”
The AFAC said that this change was taken into account considering that the clinics and last waiting rooms in airport facilities are large and sufficiently ventilated spaces, while the aircraft use a high-efficiency filtration system (HEPA) that eliminates 99.9 % of macroparticles, bacteria and viruses.
The authority reported that as of this date and until the authorities modify the sanitary protocols inherent to the use of face masks, for airport facilities and aircraft passenger cabins, the use of face masks will not be mandatory.
However, it specified that concessionaires and permit holders of air transport serving the public and airports, for cases in which a person or group of people is detected with any symptom related to the SARS-CoV-2 or symptoms of respiratory diseases, they must recommend the use of face masks, to prevent any infection and/or contagion to other people.
In addition to always having a sufficient number of masks available to be provided and used if necessary.
