MOSCOW, October 20 (RAPSI) – An action group of seven Russia’s State Duma lawmakers has developed a bill envisaging that participants of rallies are to be allowed to wear masks in cases where high alert or emergency rules are enacted.

The bill envisages amendment of the federal law on assemblies, meetings, demonstrations, marches, and pickets to the effect that participants thereof could comply with mandatory mask requirements. The changes are needed as currently the law obliges organizers of such mass events to demand that the participants did not use any special means, including masks, for hiding their faces.

At the same time, the authors of the bill note, the legislation requires that citizens wear face masks under high alert or emergency regimes, including those introduced in the situations of high epidemiological risks.

The requirements to wear masks or other personal safety means in public gathering places in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus may stay in place for many years, the authors of the bill, who belong to the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, believe.