Photos: Face masks are becoming the new normal around the world

Face masks are quickly become required equipment when venturing outside amid the coronavirus pandemic. Governments in Los Angeles, Austria and Cuba have even ruled that residents going outside showed wear them.

Click here if you are having trouble viewing the gallery on your mobile device.

Face masks have been a big point of contention during the coronavirus pandemic. At first government officials told the public to not wear them and save the items for health care workers, but as the crisis has unfolded, the opinion has shifted.

Now, places such as Los Angeles, Austria and Cuba are urging residents to wear face masks when they go outside. The reason behind this, according to Dr. John Swartzberg, a clinical professor emeritus of infectious diseases and vaccinology at UC Berkeley, is the growing evidence that a bigger share of the population are infected with COVID-19 but dont’ show symptoms. This makes them silent carriers that could endanger others.

In Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti said residents shouldn’t use surgical or N95 masks but isntead use homemead “cloth face coverings.” The move is one that several nations have adopted and many more regular people have been using all along.

The photo gallery above shows the widespread use of face masks around the world. For more images, follow our Instagram account.