From today people in Spain are permitted to go unmasked outdoors, provided they can maintain social distancing of at least 1.5 metres.
The new rules were announced by prime minister Pedro Sánchez during the annual meeting of the Cercle d’Economia in Barcelona one week ago, and formally approved by the government’s cabinet meeting on Thursday, taking effect from 26 June by royal decree.
Mandatory face masks have been the norm for Spaniards, foreign residents and tourists for the past year, both outdoors and indoors – irrespective of the social distance.
Sánchez said the rule was being eased to reward people who had stoically maintained their discipline for so long, in recognition of the efforts of healthcare workers, companies and professionals, and “because we are meeting the milestones and objectives we set ourselves, step by step”.
Under the new protocols, it is still mandatory to carry a mask at all times, in case the 1.5-metre distance cannot be maintained – in crowded streets, for example – and for entering enclosed spaces such as shops, restaurants, hotels and hospitals, as well as at concerts and other mass events. A mask is also still required when using public transport (including at bus stations, on train platforms and in airport terminals), and when travelling in a car with people from another household.
Otherwise, it is no longer mandatory to wear a mask at the beach or pool, apart from in communal areas and changing rooms.
Referring to the 1.5-metre rule (which doesn’t apply to people from the same household), health minister Carolina Darias said, “We know this is a distance where there is no interaction in propagating the virus, and therefore no risk.”
The minister added that the decision to ease the rules was justified by Spain’s improved epidemiological situation and ongoing progress with the COVID-19 vaccination drive. More than 50 per cent of Spaniards and residents have now had at least one vaccine shot, and over 15 million (of a total population of just under 47 million) are fully vaccinated.
“If we look back, one of the elements that we have most associated with the pandemic is the mandatory use of face masks. It’s a non-pharmaceutical measure that has been tremendously useful in controlling transmission. But the shift in the pandemic, with positive figures, is bringing us to the path towards the new normality.”
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