ARCHIVED - Not all Spanish regions happy about decision to relax mask-wearing in public from June 26
Valencia has called for caution, and Andalusia has said the regional authorities will still recommend that citizens wear masks after the restriction is lifted.
Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez announced on Friday morning that masks will probably no longer be obligatory outdoors in Spain as of 26 June, but the regions have been quick to complain that they have been left out as the final decision will be made by the Cabinet of Ministers on June 24; when a decision goes to the cabinet, it's pretty much a "fait accompli" situation as there is no debate over whether to do this or not, it's more a validation of a decision already taken.
Unless there is significant opposition during this week to the plan, it is unlikely that the PM will announce any change, although details still have to be approved.
The topic of masks has been discussed on multiple occasions during previous meetings of representatives from the regional health authorities, always without agreement.
Regional government spokespeople gave mixed statements following the announcements, with some seeming happier than others about the change.
The Valencian authorities, for example, have stressed that caution should guide decisions related to the pandemic and said that they will wait until further details on how facemask use is to be regulated are given at next week’s extraordinary Cabinet meeting before deciding how to proceed.
Andalusia, however, is against the move and has complained that the regions’ opinions have not been taken into account. The regional government, said vice-president Juan Marín, will continue to recommend masks are worn outside after 26 June even if they are no longer obligatory. While it is good news that things are improving and facemasks are on their way out, Mr Marín stated, the Spanish government shouldn’t have made a unilateral decision without considering each individual region’s situation first.
The president of Galicia’s regional government, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, also said that while the news was good, he felt it to be more of a political move than a decision based on the health situation. Galicia and other regions, he said, had been asking for some time for protocols to determine how and when masks could be removed in public but had not received a reply.
The Murcian regional president expressed his opposition to the decision, complaining that the announcement had been made without prior discussion with the regional authorities. He also accused the Spanish government of "playing politics".
Meanwhile, regional government representatives from Catalonia, the Balearics and La Rioja have all applauded the move. Catalonian Public Health secretary Carmen Cabezas said she was looking forward to hearing details on where and when masks would no longer be required. Her counterpart in the Balearics, Patricia Gómez, welcomed the news and La Rioja’s regional president, Concha Andreu, said she was sure the decision wouldn’t cause any problems.