FREE
www.costablancapeople.com
1
CostaBlancaPeople 22nd - 28th June 2021
22nd - 28th June - edition 895
Tel: 966 701 060 | office@costablancapeople.com | costablancapeople.com
Your Essential Weekly Read
Adios to masks outdoors
Wearing a mask outdoors will no longer be mandatory in Spain from June 26th. Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced the welcome news about the end of the mask outdoors, a decision that will be made formal in an extraordinary Council of Ministers. Sánchez said, “i would like to start
my speech by making a very important announcement for the 47 million compatriots in our country. i would like to say to you that we are going to hold an extraordinary Cabinet meeting on thursday at which we are going to propose that masks no longer be obligatory in open spaces from Saturday, June 26.” those attending
the annual meeting of the Círculo de economía in Barcelona, where the announcement was made, began to applaud. the government’s decision comes after up to 10 communities asked the executive to move towards ridding citizens of the obligation to wear a mask while outside in the open air. Speaking after the announcement, Sánchez said, “our streets, our faces will regain their normal appearance in the next few days. We will once again enjoy a life on the street without masks.” Sánchez’s announcement came just 48 hours after the meeting of the interterritorial Council in which the matter of masks was not discussed because it was not on the agenda, despite being requested by many autonomous communities. A few weeks ago, Fernando Simón, director of Spain’s Centre for the Coordination of health Alerts and emergencies, had remarked that it was possible that before July the use of
masks outside might not be mandatory. Many are now speculating that the government had already considering this move weeks ago and announced it last week in order to try to stimulate summer tourism. despite Sánchez announcement, the content of the decree and the fine print surrounding the matter will need
Tel: 966 618 321 See our adverT on page 27
See page 12
to be be addressed at a meeting with health officials of the autonomous communities tomorrow, Wednesday, when the interterritorial Council gather. the formalisation of the decision will take place on thursday when the Council of Ministers makes it official. in order for the decision to go ahead, the government needs to change the law, specifically Law 2/2021 which was brought in on March 29th which made wearing masks outdoors mandatory in the first place. in order for the law to be changed, a new decree that modifies the legislation must be introduced and then validated by Congress. Although the finer details are not yet known, it is assumed that the obligation to wear a mask outside will be lifted when a safe distance of 1.5 metres can be maintained. Masks will likely still be obligatory outdoors in confined spaces but not, for example, in parks, town squares (when not crowded) or when walking the dog.