Coronavirus

Masks to be distributed to public transport users

Masks to be made available for public transport users. | Antoni Pol

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterPalma12/04/2020 19:34

To coincide with the resumption of non-essential work activities, face masks are to be handed out to users of public transport. Across Spain, some ten million masks are to be distributed at railway, bus and metro stations. This will be done from Monday to Wednesday. The state security forces (Guardia Civil, National Police) will be in charge of the distribution with support from local police forces and municipal Civil Protection volunteers.

In the Balearics, 240,000 masks are being made available. These will be given out on Tuesday and Wednesday. Monday is a public holiday in the Balearics, which isn't the case in all regions of the country.

Palma town hall says that masks will be handed out at EMT bus stops with high numbers of passengers - Plaça Espanya, Plaça de la Reina, by El Corte Inglés on the Avenidas. There isn't as yet information about distribution outside Palma (and on the other islands) or indeed elsewhere in Palma.

The Balearic government explains that wearing face masks is not obligatory on public transport except in situations where safe distancing cannot be assured. The Balearics now have 3.4 million masks, and President Armengol says that the government is doing everything possible to get more. She adds that an agreement has been reached with the Cooperativa d'Apotecarias, the pharmacy distribution service in the Balearics, to supply pharmacies with masks.