On December 12, the National Bureau of Disease Control and Prevention issued the Guidelines on Wearing Masks for the Public to Prevent novel coronavirus Infection (April 2023) (hereinafter referred to as the mask guidelines). This is an updated mask guide based on the first five versions of the mask wearing guidelines and in accordance with the epidemic situation and prevention and control needs in China. The latest version of the mask guidelines explains "situations or scenarios where masks should be worn", "situations or scenarios where masks are recommended", and "common situations or scenarios where masks may not be worn", providing clear classification guidelines for most of the scenarios where the public is exposed. According to the guidelines, masks should be worn during periods of infection, clustered outbreaks, or when outsiders enter nursing homes or social welfare institutions; It is recommended to wear a mask when in public transportation, enclosed environments, densely populated areas, etc; In outdoor, fixed workplaces, large-scale activities with detection and control measures, masks can not be worn... According to the interpretation of mask guidelines, China has achieved a smooth transition of epidemic prevention and control. Currently, the COVID-19 epidemic is still sporadic, but the global epidemic is still prevalent, the virus strains are still changing, and there is still a risk of rebound in China. The new version of the mask guidelines further reduces the situations or scenarios in which masks should be worn while taking into account the current epidemic situation and the changes in the hazards of the novel coronavirus. The new version of the mask guidelines aims to optimize and adjust the recommendations for wearing masks, while ensuring the effectiveness of prevention and control, and minimizing the impact on public production and life. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, China's epidemic prevention and control strategy has adhered to the principle of dynamic optimization and adjustment. In the future, mask guidelines will continue to be revised and improved based on changes in the epidemic situation and prevention and control needs. The mask guidelines are also clear, and various departments in different regions can develop local and industry mask guidelines based on the actual situation of the local and industry, combined with the epidemic situation. (New News Agency)