The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has assured that the use of face masks in indoor spaces from April 20, on which it will no longer be compulsory to wear them, will be “common sense” and has expressed his “conviction” that “many people” will continue to use them.
This Tuesday the Council of Ministers will approve a Royal Decree by which the use of face masks will no longer be compulsory indoors. The measure will come into effect the following day, Wednesday 20 April, when it will be published in the Official State Bulletin (BOE).
Specific use of masks indoors
Although the specific places where its use will continue to be mandatory are not yet known, the latest report ‘Positioning of the Ponencia de Alertas, Planes de Preparación y Respuesta sobre el uso de mascarillas en espacios interiores‘, to which Europa Press has had access, states that it should be worn by workers and visitors of care centers and people admitted when they are in shared spaces outside their rooms or in social-health centers; and when traveling on public transport.
The report also advises against the use of masks by pupils in schools and recommends responsible use of masks by vulnerable people in any situation where they have prolonged contact with people at a distance of less than 1.5 metres; and teachers with vulnerability factors.
In the workplace, the paper advises the use of the mask whenever the work must be performed at an interpersonal distance of less than 1.5 meters and adequate ventilation of the space cannot be guaranteed; and in the family environment, gatherings of friends and private celebrations.
Finally, it recommends its use in enclosed spaces for public use in which people pass through such as stores (shopping centers, supermarkets or small businesses); enclosed spaces in which people spend time without eating or drinking (cinemas, theaters, concert halls and museums) and in enclosed spaces in which people spend time eating and drinking (bars, restaurants and nightlife venues).
In an interview on Antena 3, reported by Europa Press, the President of the Government commented that the measures will be “common sense”, confirming that they will continue to be obligatory in hospitals and on public transport.
With regard to their use in companies, Sánchez pointed out that it will be up to the occupational risk departments to decide in which areas they must be used. “This is extraordinary news that is the result of a vaccination process that is exemplary in the world,” he emphasised.
In addition, the President of the Executive recalled that although the cumulative incidence of coronavirus infection is around 400 points, “a high rate compared to other variants”, it is “lower” than that of other countries and the levels of hospitalization and occupation of Intensive Care Units (ICU) is less than 4 percent. “All this has allowed us to make the decision to move away from the recommend the use of masks in generalized indoor use,” he said.
However, Sanchez commented that, in his opinion, “many people” will continue to wear them because the pandemic “continues to spread” and many people continue to die in the world. “Vaccination has been the turning point that has allowed us to make this decision,” he concluded.
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