According to certain national media sources, the wearing of face masks indoors will no longer be mandatory from April 19, with the exception of hospitals, health centres and care homes. On public transport, masks will also still be obligatory.
It is understood that the national minister of health, Carolina Darias, has proposed this to regional health ministers at the Wednesday meeting of the Inter-Territorial Council for the National Health System in Toledo.
There had been talk that the requirement for masks indoors would be eliminated before Easter. It now seems, if this is confirmed, that it will be after Easter.
The Balearic health minister, Patricia Gómez, has indicated that the islands are prepared for the elimination of the mask requirement. "Masks have prevented many infections, but it is to be expected that people are tired of them." At present, there are 83 Covid patients on wards in the Balearics and twenty more in intensive care units. While understanding the desire to scrap the mask requirement, Gómez stresses that everyone "has to be on notice because there are many infections; we all have infected people around us".
Specialist in public health and preventive medicine, Joan Carles March, believes that the wearing of masks indoors should continue "until we see the lowest cumulative incidence". Despite his misgivings, he approves of waiting until after Easter.
Epidemiologist Maties Torrent has always argued that eliminating mask-wearing should wait until the weather improves. "April 19 is after Easter and we hope that the weather will have improved." He adds that it is very important that there is good ventilation and that masks continue to be used when people have any respiratory symptoms.
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Nigel. Well my personal experience would be that apart from catching Covid myself after travelling to the UK at Xmas, I have been pretty lucky due to basic consideration and respect for other people. My partner's uncle had Covid and now consequently two blood clots near his heart (which he has never had before and was certainly not caused by "the flu"). Around 15 of his customers from his company died from Covid in around a year (if this was from any other factor then a true coincidence indeed), and the owner of our local Funeral parlour said during the worst spare back in 2020, that he has never known so many people to die in such a short space of time. Myself and my family caught the less severe strain of Covid over Xmas, and due to us all being vaccinated, and together with the fact we have all been vaccinated, I believe helped in no serious damage (although my father who does have underlying health conditions says his breathing has become worse than previously). I certainly believe now, after more than two years it is time to move on and get on with our lives and take individual responsibility, but I also find it insulting, nonsensical and not to mention ignorant, those who continue to make lazy and toxic comments on social media claiming masks/vaccines do not work in the middle of a pandemic when thankfully most sane and courteous people are doing all they can to help control the situation.
I'm triple jabbed, but have had covid 3 times. As I have underlying conditions, my doctor says that had I not been jabbed, it could have been critical or even life threatening. But it's been milder and milder each time. Now, I could blame all this on "socialists" or Martians or something, but the fact is, it's my own fault, because I rarely wear a mask and except when it's obligatory, and I've neglected to use the alcohol gel at the shops lately, and don't wash my hands as religiously as I did previously. I've become a bit too lax about it. So, I suffer the consequences.
Thank flipping goodness!!!
Look guys, you all seem to be the worlds experts on Covid. I have had 3 jabs, and have just recovered from 4 days of Covid and 12 days testing positive. After 5 days of isolation went back into the world, and since then no one I have been in contact with has tested positive. Your personal experiences please. I am no expert, but common sense tells me we are not being fed the truth. Do you all know better?
No easyjet employees have covid. They're just another part of a worldwide conspiracy to punish innocent Brits. For no identifiable reason.
Nigel- After two years you are still having difficulty in understanding the difference between preventing and reducing the chances? Now try to imagine which careers would have a higher chance due to spending the majority of their time, in an enclosed area with possibly thousands of people every week......? As has also been said, most people do not wear masks 24/7 either. Do try using a bit of common sense?
@Nigel Do you think that Easy jet staff wear face masks 24 hours or day or is it possible that they caught the virus in their free time while not wearing masks?
Well wearing masks has not stopped EasyJet staff form catching Covid, possibly helped? But who knows, there are no experts as we have all been in this the same time.
Rich- You do understand that many people don't want to wear masks but do so out of consideration for others? Explain how this is "Fake caring"?
Neither I nor anyone else is "against mask relaxation". I'm against "mask relaxation" because some conspiracy theorist decides it's all a conspiracy. I prefer to stick with those who actually have a clue.