Spain drops mandatory use of face masks outdoors

MADRID • Spain has dropped the mandatory use of face masks outdoors, though many people are keeping them on in the capital Madrid, with face coverings now an everyday staple.

Spain first imposed obligatory mask-wearing outdoors in May 2020, but lifted it last June although masks were still required for indoor public spaces. But the government reimposed the measure just before Christmas as Covid-19 cases exploded owing to the highly contagious Omicron variant.

Even as rules eased across the country on Thursday, in Madrid, some kept them on out of habit.

"I'm wearing one and I'll keep on doing so even though the law says I can take it off," said Mr Alberto Diaz, a pensioner from the southern Andalusia region. He was in the city for a concert.

Masks have been embraced by Spaniards in all public spaces, inside and out, and they have largely become ubiquitous like in many cities in Asia.

Although they will remain compulsory at large open-air gatherings where social distancing is not possible, they will no longer be required in school playgrounds.

Newlyweds Ricardo Alfredo Sanchez and Yvette Candero looked delighted as they had their photo taken in Puerta del Sol Square.

"It's not the same having a souvenir photo taken with your face covered, you can't see the person's expression or how happy they are," said the groom.

In another anticipated move, in the north-eastern region of Catalonia, nightlife venues opened at the stroke of midnight.

In late December, the Catalan government put in place some of Spain's most restrictive measures to fight Omicron, imposing a night curfew from 1am, closing nightlife venues and halving the capacity in bars and restaurants. Bar and restaurant restrictions were eased last month, but nightlife venues had remained closed, until yesterday - with most set to open just after midnight.

Despite high vaccination rates, Covid-19 cases exploded in Spain over the Christmas holidays, giving it one of Europe's highest incidence rates, although that has now fallen. Spain has registered about 10.5 million infections and over 95,000 deaths.

Meanwhile, the Dutch government on Thursday said it aims to drop most of its coronavirus restrictions by the end of the month as record levels of infections in recent weeks have had only a limited effect on hospital numbers.

Bars and restaurants will now be allowed to stay open until 1am, instead of the current order to close at 10pm, said Health Minister Ernst Kuipers in a letter to Parliament.

Social distancing measures will be dropped in public places by the end of the month, but visitors will need to show proof of either vaccination, a recent recovery from Covid-19 or a negative coronavirus test.

This would also allow theatres and sporting events to reopen at full capacity, while nightclubs and festivals could get back in business with a testing requirement for all visitors.

Coronavirus infections in the Netherlands have reached unprecedented levels in recent weeks because of the highly contagious Omicron variant, but the increase in the number of Covid-19 patients in hospitals has remained modest.

The government will announce its new policies next Tuesday, following advice by its panel of health experts, said Dr Kuipers.

REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE