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3:27
First day without a mask in outdoor spaces in Spain
This Thursday began in Spain the measure of being able to remove the mask in outdoor spaces and during recess times in schools, after the Council of Ministers approved it last Tuesday and the Royal Decree was published in the Official State Gazette ( BOE).
It should be noted that the BOE is the official Spanish newspaper that is responsible for publishing the laws, mandatory insertion acts and provisions. On the other hand, the measure was approved thanks to the fact that as of February 4, data was reported on the reduction of covid-19 cases of up to 33% or 17% weekly.
Given the evident decline, the Interterritorial Health Council unanimously approved the non-mandatory nature of the face mask outdoors, including recesses and school patios.
In the same way, the expansion of the capacity in sports activities was approved, in cases such as football from 75 to 85% and in basketball, since it is carried out in closed spaces, from 50 to 75%.
On the other hand, the rule is subject to the autonomy of the institutions that, in such a case, decide to be stricter in security measures. Another exception is when in the spaces it is not possible to have a distance of one and a half meters between each person, in this case the mask must be worn.
Negative and positive reactions to the measure
Since early Thursday morning there has been some confusion in schools and at recess many have not really known how to act.
The feeling of freedom is what abounds, but also an uncertainty and fear that has led to opposition in a certain part of the population.
Galicia is an example of opposition to this measure and so much so that the Xunta de Galicia recommends continuing to use masks in schools, at least until children comply with all doses of vaccines. It should be noted that this Wednesday the administration of the second dose to children between 5 and 11 years began.
The Galician government has clarified that it will put into practice the law that has been approved with the Royal Decree, but it also recommends continuing to use the mask in spaces where many people are.
In the same way, with respect to schools, it recommends continuing to use the mask, especially in places where children and people share food and drinks.
In Andalusia they have decided to start applying the measure as of Friday, although the local authorities have emphasized that the educational establishments are autonomous in applying it to a greater or lesser degree.
For now, in Castilla-La Mancha and the Basque Country the measure has been applied normally, to name a few places.
However, with regard to the application of the Royal Decree to exteriors, there are some testimonies from citizens about their experience on the first day without a mask:
"Usually, I am going to continue wearing it for a while, because it does not create any problem for me and I consider that it protects me, even now in winter, since it prevents me from catching colds and other viruses," explained a man from the Spanish capital.
"It's uncomfortable when breathing, but if there are a lot of people, even if the others take it away, I'll keep it," said a young man when he stated that if he went alone down the street he would take off his mask.
It should be noted that the cases of covid-19 reported since the start of the pandemic in the world are more than 403 million, with a total of 5.7 million deaths. In Spain, the exact figures are 10,555,196 reported cases, while there have been 95,606 official deaths.
