Dear Students,
Below, you will find a detailed description of where you have to cover your mouth and nose, who can ask you to remove it for identification and who is exempt from the obligation to wear it. Please, read the instructions carefully and follow the regulations closely. Remember that for now, you have to wear your masks outside until further notice and that there is a fine for breaking these new regulations!
Are you leaving home? Cover your mouth and nose!
16.04.2020
From April 16, there is an obligation to cover your mouth and nose. Everyone who leaves the house must cover these parts of their faces. It can be done with a disposable mask, a textile mask, or a scarf. Thanks to this, you protect yourself and others. People infected with coronavirus who are going through the illness without symptoms will not be unknowingly infecting others.
The obligation to cover the mouth and nose in Poland is valid until further notice. It applies to all who are:
- in public transport vehicles (buses, trams, in the underground, etc.),
- in cars – it applies to situations in which strangers are travelling together, that means, those who do not live together (e.g. colleagues from work, neighbours, etc.),
EXAMPLE: I am driving a car with my mother, with whom I live every day. In this situation, we do not need to cover the mouth and nose.
EXAMPLE: I am giving a lift to a friend I don’t live with every day. For safety, we have a duty to cover the nose and mouth during the journey.
- on roads and squares (also applies to people riding e.g. a bicycle or a scooter),
- in workplaces (it applies to people who have contact with outsiders – customers, clients, etc.),
EXAMPLE: I can’t work remotely, but I do all the tasks at work in my office. I have no contact with people outside work. In this situation, I have no obligation to cover my mouth and nose.
EXAMPLE: I work at the reception and I receive documents from couriers and clients. I have contact with outsiders. In this situation, I have to cover my mouth and nose.
You do not have to cover your mouth and nose at work unless you serve external clients.
- in public buildings (e.g. in offices, schools, universities, clinics and hospitals, at the post office, in banks and restaurants),
- in shops and markets,
- at points offering services,
- in communal staircases, elevators, laundries and other common areas used by block of flats residents.
Important! Policemen, border guards, cashiers at the bank, or shopkeepers can ask us to uncover our faces for identification. We have a duty to do so at their request.
Important! Store and service centre employees can cover their faces with a visor if all cash registers, sales outlets, windows, etc. are separated from customers by an additional protective cover.
Small children, sick people and farmers. Who else is not required to cover the mouth and nose?
As a rule, everyone must cover their mouths and nose. However, we make a few exceptions. Among them are:
- children up to the age of 4,
- people who have breathing problems (no certificate is required),
- people who cannot put on or take off their face protection because of their state of health (no certificate is required),
- people travelling by car – if the passengers live together,
- people travelling by car – if only the driver or driver with a child up to 4 years old is there,
- employees in workplaces, public buildings and commercial facilities. IMPORTANT! People who directly serve clients or customers in these places are required to cover their mouths and nose!
- public transport drivers and private carriers – provided that they are separated from passengers by a shutter,
- the clergy performing religious rites,
- farmers working on the farm,
- soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland and allied forces, as well as officers of the Military Counterintelligence Service and the Military Intelligence Service, performing official tasks.
How to protect yourself? Not just with a mask!
We can cover the mouth and nose with a scarf or another piece of clothing. There is no obligation to use only face masks.
However, if you decide to use face masks, it’s worth knowing which ones to use. What to look for?
Masks can be made from the following textiles:
- cotton,
- cotton with elastane,
- cotton with flax,
- flax,
- polyester,
- viscose with polyester,
- polyamide with polyester,
- fleece.
The mask should adhere tightly to the face but remain comfortable to wear and breathe. Reusable masks should be washed after each use.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Do I have to cover my mouth and nose only with a mask?
No. It is also allowed to cover the mouth and nose with the help of parts of clothing (e.g. scarf) or with a visor.
Does the regulation apply to the car?
If you travel alone or with loved ones with whom you live or with a child up to 4 years old – there is no obligation to cover your face. However, if we travel with strangers, i.e. those with whom we do not live – we must cover the mouth and nose.
Should we cover the mouth and nose in the church?
Yes, the order applies in places of religious worship. Only priests who perform the rites are exempt from this obligation.
Are mouth and nose cover necessary in stores and marketplaces?
Yes, the order applies to all commercial facilities, retail outlets and marketplaces. It does not apply only to employees of these places who do not have contact with customers. A warehouseman unloading goods in the back room – does not have to cover his face. The cashier who serves customers – must have his mouth and nose covered.
The obligation to cover the face applies in public places. Can I reveal my face if I’m in a bank, withdrawing money, and the cashier wants to check if I’m the person I claim to be?
Yes. Policemen, border guards, cashiers at the bank, or shopkeepers can ask us to uncover your faces for identification. We have a duty to do so at their request.
I have a garden in the house. Do I have to cover my mouth and nose in my private area?
If we are in a private area, i.e. on the terrace or in the garden, we do not need to cover our faces.
In our block of flats there is a laundry and a drying room. Do you have to cover your nose and mouth there?
If we stay in places such as an underground car park, drying room, attic, laundry room, staircase, basement – which are a common part of an apartment block – then we also have an obligation to cover the mouth and nose.