People in Honduras will now be required to cover their mouths when they are outside, President Juan Orlando Hernández said in a televised statement Monday.
The order goes into effect on Tuesday.
“The use of masks is mandatory, it is not optional. Even a homemade mask makes a big difference and can partially protect us,” he said in a video dedicated to the use of masks.
“Today, any type of protection is essential,” he added.
The government is including four masks with each bag of food it delivers to the neediest families, he said, and invited people to watch videos on how to make masks at home.
The government is also preparing policies that will allow masks to be made in bulk for Hondurans and to export them later, Hernández said.
The armed forces industry, which usually manufactures military equipment, has also been ordered to produce face masks and other protective equipment instead.