Date Published: 01/06/2021
ARCHIVED - Spain begins to debate relaxing compulsory facemask wearing law
ARCHIVED ARTICLE
Image: Emiliano García-Page meeting Red Cross volunteers last month
Speculation abounds over making masks optional in late June or July
A measure of the optimism in Spain at present regarding the development of the Covid pandemic is that there is widespread speculation that within a month it may be possible to introduce exceptions to the obligatory wearing of facemasks in public places, a de-escalation measure which only a couple of months ago, before the immunization campaign gathered momentum, seemed almost impossible to contemplate.
Expectation that masks could soon become optional in some situations was raised still higher on Monday when Fernando Simón, the Director of Spain’s Coordination Centre for Health Alerts and Emergencies, of the Ministry of Health, indicated that it could be possible to re-consider the compulsory wearing of masks in late June or early July. Initially the Spanish government anticipated that this would be possible only when 70 per cent of the population has been fully vaccinated, probably around late August, but it seems that the deadline could now be brought forward in time for the summer.
Sr Simón’s statements should not be taken as an indication of official government policy, but they are a good pointer concerning the way in which Spain’s health authorities are thinking, and he also hinted that the lifting of the restriction may apply not only to outdoor areas but also to certain indoor contexts where practically all people have been fully vaccinated, such as homes for the elderly.
The idea of making facemasks optional in outdoor spaces is also supported by various of Spain’s 17 regional governments. In Castilla-La Mancha, regional president Emiliano García-Page has advocated the relaxation of the measure during the month of June, a view tentatively backed by his counterparts in Galicia and Catalunya, although at the same time the opinion in Madrid is that caution should be exercised while the governments of Andalucía and Murcia remain firmly opposed to the idea for the moment.
All parties appear to agree, however, that if a relaxation of the rules is introduced it should be applied to all regions of the country equally, without taking account the differing epidemiological situations in different Autonomous Communities and provinces. In addition, it is worth bearing in mind that in order to implement the change it would be necessary to repeal an article of the Law governing the “new normal” which states that fines of up to 100 euros are payable by anyone aged over 6 failing to wear a facemask without adequate justification.
Whether the facemask law is relaxed sooner or later remains to be seen, but as the vaccination campaign continues it is a relief to see that the move is at least being talked about!