New mask rules take effect in Britain
Romania suffers record for daily new infections
LONDON — New rules on wearing masks in England came into effect Friday, with people entering shops, banks and supermarkets required to wear face coverings, while Romania reported a record for daily infections and France announced mandatory testing for arrivals from 16 countries, including the United States.
People in England can be fined as much as $127 by police if they refuse. Places like restaurants, pubs, gyms and hairdresser salons are exempt.
John Apter, the national chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said officers would be available as a last resort but added that he hopes the public “will continue to do the right thing” to protect other citizens.
French Prime Minister Jean Castex announced Friday that as of Aug. 1, travelers entering France from 16 countries where the viral circulation is strong — including the United States — must undergo compulsory tests on arrival at French airports or ports unless they can present a negative test less than 72 hours old from their countries of departure. Those testing positive on arrival must isolate for 14 days.
Health authorities say cases on the French mainland have surged 66 percent in the past three weeks and 26 percent in the past week alone. Concerns already had prompted the government to make mask-wearing mandatory in all indoor public spaces this week.
In Belgium, health authorities said a 3-year-old girl has died after testing positive for COVID-19 as new infections surged 89 percent from the previous week.
Belgian authorities have bolstered restrictions to slow the spread of the coronavirus, including making masks mandatory in crowded outdoor public spaces.
Romania set an all-time high for daily new infections Friday, and authorities blamed the surge on a failure to wear masks, including in indoor public places or on mass transit.
In Italy, most new cases have occurred in the north, where the outbreak in Europe began, but southern regions lately have been seeing clusters of infections.
Many recent cases have been traced to people returning from abroad, most of them foreign workers. Other clusters were among migrants rescued at sea and vacationers.
Last week, the mayor of the tourist-mecca island of Capri ordered people to wear masks in the streets. Capri’s main square, with its trendy cafes and narrow streets, had been jammed with holiday-goers, many not wearing masks.
Three young Romans who returned home after a holiday tested positive, Italian media said Friday.
Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza on Friday ordered everyone entering Italy who had been in either Romania or Bulgaria during the past 14 days to self-quarantine. A few weeks ago, a cluster of cases was traced to an apartment complex in a town near Naples housing Bulgarian farm workers.
In Italy, masks must be worn in shops, banks, on public transport and outdoors where it’s impossible to keep a safe distance apart.