Covid-19: Spain cancels obligatory wearing of masks outdoors

Madrid [Spain], June 27 (ANI/Sputnik): Starting from Saturday, the wearing of masks outdoors is no longer obligatory in Spain in accordance with the government's decision to cancel the restriction due to the improvement of the epidemiological situation and high vaccination paces.
On June 18, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that starting from June 26, Spaniards will no longer be required to wear face masks while outdoors.
Despite the new rule, masks are still obligatory in all closed premises, including transport. In addition, people on the streets have to keep a social distance of 1.5 meters (5 feet), otherwise, they should wear masks.
Although the decision to lift the requirement has already entered into force, many Spaniards seem to find it hard to shake off the habit. A Sputnik correspondent reported that most people in Madrid are still reluctant to go maskless, and for many it is not just a matter of finding it hard to maintain a proper social distance.
"I am not ready to take it off yet. I think that the government has acted prematurely. There are still a lot of infections, people keep being hospitalized, dying," an elderly man told Sputnik, describing the decision as a populist gesture by the Sanchez government.
In Switzerland, too, the authorities lifted the requirement to wear masks outdoors, and while the city of Zurich is full of people with bare faces, some have still opted to keep their facial cover on. In Geneva, many people continue to wear masks outdoors as well. According to Sputnik correspondents, seniors are the most likely age group to still wear their masks.
Spain introduced the obligatory wearing of masks last July. People had to follow the restriction everywhere, even in house elevators and entrances as well as during walks alone along a seashore. Exceptions were made for such groups as people with medical contradictions and children aged six and younger.
Over 23 million Spaniards have so far received at least one vaccine dose against COVID-19, while more than 15 million people underwent the full vaccination. (ANI/Sputnik)