The Interterritorial Council and the regional Ministries of Health have agreed today (Friday) to end the mandatory use of masks in hospitals, medical centres, social health centres, and pharmacies, the only places where this restriction, the last one of the pandemic, was still in force.
The decision will be approved in a forthcoming Council of Ministers (the date of which has not yet been decided), where it will be confirmed that the use of masks will be recommended, but not mandatory. It will only be required in areas where there are immunosuppressed patients, such as cancer units, operating theatres, and ICUs.
They made today's decision after analyzing a document prepared by advisors from the Centre for the Coordination of Health Alerts and Emergencies (CCAES), directed by Fernando Simón, on the situation of the pandemic in Spain.
Several options were presented: the complete withdrawal of the obligation in a prolonged manner, permanently, or in a phased manner. The Minister of Health, José Miñones, assured last week that the decision on the use of masks in these places would be based on the opinion of these experts.
Hospitals, nursing homes (for workers and visitors), and chemists were the only places in which the use of masks continued to be mandatory after use was abolished on public transport on February 8th. The mandatory use of masks was brought in over three years now on 4th May 2020 during the first wave of the pandemic.
However, the Covid-19 situation is very different now, and not even events that on other occasions have led to an upturn in infections, such as festivals, have caused cases to skyrocket this time.
According to the latest data from the Ministry of Health, published last Friday, the cumulative incidence in those over 60 years of age, the only one that is measured now, stands at 66.52 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, while coronavirus patients represent only 1.42% of hospitalizations in the ward and 1.12% in the ICUs.
