The government decree, passed Tuesday, keeps masks mandatory
for visitors and staff in medical centers and nursing homes, although patients
won’t always be obliged to wear them.
Masks will also be mandatory on all forms of public
transportation, but not in stations or airports.
It remains unclear what impact the decree will have on
workplaces such as public and private company offices, banks, factories and
stores as the government is letting employers decide to keep them in use if
they deem there is a health risk.
In turn, they are recommended, but not obligatory, in
multitudinous gatherings, in packed areas or in the presence of vulnerable
people. Schools are also exempted from having to use them.
Masks became obligatory indoors and outdoors shortly after
the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain early 2020. The restriction for
outdoor use was lifted in mid-2021, but reimposed between December and February
amid a major surge of infections of the highly contagious omicron variant.
“The mask without doubt has been one of the most
identifiable measures over the past two years and it will no longer be
obligatory,” Health Minister Carolina Darias said Tuesday. “They will continue
to be with us as an element of protection, particularly for the most
vulnerable.”
With more than 92% of Spaniards over 12 years old having
received at least two vaccine doses and the number of coronavirus infections
and deaths dropping sharply in recent months, Spain has also eliminated
mandatory home isolation for people infected with the virus who experience no
symptoms or mild ones.
The ebbing of the pandemic comes as Spanish prosecutors turn
their attention to possible illegalities in the purchasing of masks and other
medical products by authorities in the critical first few months of the
outbreak.
Two of the most prominent cases involve the Madrid region
and the capital city’s town hall.
State prosecutors are investigating two men who they say
pocketed more than 6 million euros ($6.5 million) in commission by selling
masks and other products to Madrid city hall at exorbitantly inflated prices.
Prosecutors say the two bought luxury cars, watches and even a yacht with the
money.
Meanwhile, Spanish and European prosecutors have also been
looking into the purchase of masks by the the Madrid regional government in a
deal brokered by the brother of regional president Isabel DÃaz Ayuso for a
substantial commission.
In both cases, authorities say they acted in good faith
during a national emergency and that it was extremely difficult to obtain these
products at the beginning of the pandemic.
Analyzing the books of Spain’s major cities and some major
institutions during the first three months of the pandemic, Spain’s Court of
Auditors has found that there were often major exorbitant differences in the
prices paid for masks and other products. -AP
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