The days of the use of the face mask in the Spanish streets as a protection measure against the Covid-19 virus are numbered.
The mask will no longer be mandatory starting Thursday 10 February. However, it will not completely disappear from outdoor spaces yet: it will continue to be mandatory in "massive events" held outdoors in which attendees are standing and cannot keep a safety distance of 1.5 meters.
This was agreed on Monday by the Interterritorial Health Council, in which the Spanish central government and the health authorities of the regions are represented.
On Tuesday, the central government will give the green light to the new regulation during the meeting of the Council of Ministers. The government will approve the measure by means of a real decree that will be published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) on Wednesday and will enter into force the following day, Thursday.
The mask will also continue to be mandatory in interior spaces, without there being a date for the lifting of this measure at the moment.
Sports capacity
The new regulation is the result of a proposal from the Minister of Health, Carolina Darias, to the Interterritorial Health Council.
On the other hand, the Interterritorial Health Council has approved new capacity regulations for mass sports competitions. These new regulations especially affect professional football and basketball matches, which see the capacity increased.
As of the next game day, the capacity in the stadiums and outdoor venues will be raised from 75% to 85% and in the indoor venues from 50% to 75%.
The idea of the government is that in March all the stadiums could be at full capacity (100%).
