Face masks, which are mandatory to wear in public due to the Coronavirus health emergency, will be distributed for free at newsstands throughout Tuscany starting June 5, an initiative that will continue throughout the month. Up to May, this task had been carried out by pharmacies as mandated by the Tuscan regional government.
Residents must bring a health card (tessera sanitaria) to participating newsstands, which will be scanned by an app on the the proprietor’s tablet or smart phone, in order to receive a package of 10 free masks made of nonwoven fabric. Each person is entitled to be given 20 or 30 masks up to June 30, depending on availability.
So far, 55 million free face masks have been given to Tuscan residents since the outbreak of the pandemic: 43 million in pharmacies, 4 million at supermarkets and another 8 million door to door by representatives of the National Safety Agency (Protezione Civile) and volunteer organizations. (rosanna cirigliano)
