Facemasks will no longer be compulsory outdoors inItaly, one of the countries in Europe worst hit by the coronavirus, from June 28, the health ministry said.

The lifting of the mask requirement would come into effect in regions labelled “white” under Italy's classification system for how rapidly the virus is spreading, Health Minister Roberto Speranza said.

This includes all Italian regions except the tiny Aosta Valley in the far northwest, according to AFP.

Speranza's announcement came on advice from Italy's Comitato Tecnico Scientifico (CTS) scientific advisory panel, which said people should still have masks at hand for events with higher risk of spreading the virus like large gatherings.