Face masks will be required outside and in cars in the Czech Republic from Wednesday

Prague, Oct 19 (CTK) -- The Czech government approved new mask-wearing measures on Monday evening, due to take effect Wednesday.

The new measures make wearing face masks obligatory in outdoor public spaces where people cannot maintain a distance of two meters.

Family members and people playing sports are exempt from the new rules.

Face masks will also be obligatory in cars unless the driver is alone or accompanied by his family members only.

"The colder the weather, the more important wearing face mask outdoors is," Health Minister Roman Prymula said at press conference Monday.

Face mask wearing outside people's homes was mandatory during the first wave of coronavirus from mid-March; the restriction was gradually relaxed, lifted first outdoors but remained in effect in most indoor premises until July 1.

Face masks were re-introduced September 10 in reaction to the new wave of infection, though then health minister Adam Vojtech originally proposed their reintroduction from September 1.

The Czech Republic saw 4,086 new COVID-19 cases by 18:00 today, almost twice as many as last Monday, with the number of COVID patients in hospitals rising by 202 to 3,721 on Sunday, and the number of those currently infected standing at nearly 104,000 now, the Health Ministry's evening data shows.