ARCHIVED - Mask wearing laws outdoors in Spain could be relaxed within days
Spain's Ministry of Health said the decision to end mandatory mask wearing in outdoor spaces will be based on the regional Covid figures.
The Director of the Centre for Alerts and Health Emergencies (CCAES), Fernando Simón, has suggested that the end of mask wearing outdoors in Spain, or a reduction in the situations in which a mask is required is likely to be announced soon, adding: "It is possible that its use will be reduced in a few (not many) days."
It will all depend on how each region progresses in terms of its vaccination campaign but more importantly, its epidemiological situation.
In the coming weeks "the Government and regions will be in a position to review the 'semaphore', the measures that the autonomies can apply depending on their epidemiological situation", which is when there could also be instructions regarding the use of masks, said Simón.
To consider scrapping mask wearing outdoors, the government wants to see a cumulative incidence (IA) of 150 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in all 17 regions across Spain.
As of Monday the national incidence rate over 14 days had fallen to 151, although there is still significant variation between the autonomous regions, the lowest being the Valencia region, which has a rate of just 29 cases per 100,000 and the Basque Country which has a rate of 295.
Last night, the Minister for Health, Carolina Darias refused to comment on a relaxation of the protective mask measures despite calls for a rethink by the Galicia and Catalonia Regions.
Leaders in regions with low incidence rates - including Valencia which has seen its rate drop to just under 30 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days - will be looking at relaxed measures being taken in other countries in terms of mask wearing outdoors, including America.
The mandatory use of masks in Spain has been one of the most conflictive topics of the pandemic and following the decision of Spain’s central government to make face coverings obligatory in all outdoor spaces in March ( a decision which was rapidly modified to exclude their use on beaches and around swimming pools when actively engaged in bathing or when seated).
But the government has made it clear the decision will depend on regional Covid data over the next few days.
Vaccination is also crucial in moving forward and as of last night, over 7 million people in Spain had been fully vaccinated with 32 per cent of the population having received at least one dose.
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