The Romanian interior minister warned on Saturday that cloth masks were no longer recommended for COVID-19 protection and their use would be punished with hefty fines, urdupoint.com reports.
"Experts say that the Omicron strain is very transmissible and contagious and that the use of masks is crucial for stopping it.
The fine for using a wrong kind will equal that for wearing none," Lucian Bode said on television.
Romanians caught by police or gendarme officers without a proper mask face a fine of $570. Starting Saturday, only surgical masks and FFP2 are permitted in public spaces.
Romania has seen coronavirus cases rise daily in the past week. It recorded 6,036 infections over the 24 hours, up 114 from the previous period. The death toll rose by 26 to 58,997.
