The Spanish government approved today Tuesday to eliminate the obligation to use facemasks indoors except in hospitals, public transport and nursing homes.
The measure will take effect on Wednesday. “We are making progress in returning to normality prior to the pandemic,” President Pedro Sánchez said on Twitter. “The success of the vaccination campaign allows us now to start a new stage in the fight against the coronavirus,” he added.
In this way, Spain abandons one of the last health restrictions in force in the face of the pandemic thanks to the “favorable epidemiological context” achieved by a “very high vaccination coverage” of the population, the Minister of Health, Carolina Darias, said at a press conference.
The government said Spain has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, with 92.5% of its population over the age of 12 fully immunized and more than half of its 47 million people receiving a booster dose.
The nasobuco or face mask will continue to be mandatory only in health centers and hospitals, nursing homes and public transport, but the authorities continue to recommend its use in “massive events, crowds and in the family environment or celebrations when we are with people with disabilities. vulnerability factor”, stressed Darias. In the offices it will not be mandatory, except if the companies consider it necessary, he explained.
According to official figures, the country has registered 103,266 deaths from COVID-19.
