Protective of religious beards, Israel to produce fitted face masks

FILE PHOTO: An ultra-Orthodox Jewish man wearing a mask looks on in Bnei Brak, a town badly affected by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), and which Israel declared a "restricted zone" due to its high rate of infections, near Tel Aviv, Israel April 5, 2020. REUTERS/Amir Cohen

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israelis who have beards for religious reasons will get the option of custom-made face masks to protect them from the coronavirus rather than being told to shave, a government official said on Monday.

As part of measures to combat the epidemic, Israeli authorities last week told people to cover their mouths and noses in public.