We don't wear face masks in Europe because they do nothing to protect people, and they increase the possibility of reinfection and extend the period required for recovery. They also raise the possibility of a virus storm, and all the complications that can bring on. Why should one risk the transfer of infection to the eyes rather than expelling viable virus particles. That is certainly happening.
I am not sure about other countries but in Spain, the country I live in, face masks are mandatory since Summer, and I don't think we are the only European country where this happens. About if it is safer or not, couldn't tell you, I'm not an expert on this topic.
It is a constant source of amazement to me that such a minor virus can have been elevated to create so much fear and economic misery. More people died from the bursting of dams in China than from the Corona virus, and that includes those who died from the co-morbidities.
I suppose it is difficult when a natural catastrophe happens and no one was able to predict, compared to a virus that can be handled, or at least try. Apart from that, Coronavirus is global, pandemic, while bursting of dams in China is local news, though catastrophic.
It always happens that the media inflates the news, not always evenly: just like the case where a little boy disappears or dies and it is the main news for one or two months. But media is based on people's interest, they show that sells, and coronavirus sells. It doesn't mean it is not important news per se, hospitals in my country got flooded a few months ago and people died from other diseases because there was no room nor personnel to care about them.