Wearing Mask: Requirement?
Question
Is it a requirement according to Halacha to wear masks in public these days? The reality I see is that most people, including most Orthodox Jews, don’t wear masks in crowded places like retail stores and the synagogue. Trouble is, the failure to wear a mask poses a risk that one might spread COVID to another person, and then there is a chance that the person who catches COVID could die? And of course it is forbidden to put another’s life at risk. Even if the person one catches COVID from does not die, they could spread it to another person who might die. What is the role of Halacha in mask usage?
Answers
No, there is no obligation to wear a mask today. It is true that a person who has COVID inadvertently might pass it on to others, but the authorities have rescinded all the mask mandates, meaning that Halachically there is no requirement to wear one.
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