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ARCHIVED - Sanchez heavily criticised for reintroducing mandatory masks in Spain
Masks will not be required on the beach or when playing sports
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has come under fire for approving the mandatory use of facemasks outdoors in Spain without imposing any other restrictions over the festive period, effectively leading to “17 Christmases” without any constructive coordinated measures, according to the regional president of Murcia, Fernando López Miras.
An extraordinary Council of Ministers is set to convene on Thursday December 23 to approve the measure, which will come into force on Christmas Eve.
The presidents of Madrid and Aragón have been particularly vocal about their opposition to mask wearing outdoors as they believe it contradicts the evidence put forward by the Ministry of Health, which has repeatedly insisted that infections occur mainly indoors, in badly ventilated places and where there are large concentrations of people.
Nevertheless, President Sánchez remains steadfast in his opinion that “together with the vaccine, masks are essential to lower the contagion curve” and insists that the measure has “very broad support” among the autonomous communities.
Exceptions to mask wearing rules
While waiting for the decree to be approved, Mr Sánchez explained that there will be certain “exceptions” to the mask wearing rule:
- Masks will not be required in “natural surroundings” such as in the countryside or at the beach, nor will people have to wear them while playing sport.
- In addition, the president clarified that masks can be removed if walking with a family member or friend, as long as a 1.5 metre distance can be maintained.
No end date has yet been applied to the new regulation, but Mr Sánchez has insisted that the government wants the measure to be “temporary” and removed “as soon as possible.”
The President has been criticised for downplaying the seriousness of the sixth wave and for heaping the responsibility for making tough and unpopular decisions back on to the autonomous leaders.
He has, however, thrown his support behind the Three Kings parades, which are in doubt of going ahead in places like Malaga.
“Last year they were held without vaccination. I think that with the use of the mask, the vaccination of children, their parents and their grandparents and the experience of the municipalities to avoid contagion, the boys and girls deserve to have a parade this year and we are working to make it so," Mr Sanchez concluded.
Image: Archive
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