With some of the world’s highest numbers of Covid-19 cases, Spain’s mandatory wearing of masks outdoors hasn’t helped the European country much, now has it?
Especially not when countries (most of them) that have not mandated the wearing of masks outdoors have had far lower case numbers than Spain.
Then again when people are constantly putting on and taking off a not-so-clean mask, thus markedly increasing their chances of contracting Covid, plus any other bacterial or viral infection around, many are hard-pressed to understand what else the Spanish government expected.
That is also why most Spaniards are greeting the news that the mandatory wearing of masks outdoors in Spain will end on June 26th with a sigh of relief.
An ending that should have happened about 10 minutes after the hysterical policy was implemented but, with the panicked reaction to Covid-19 of the current Spanish government of Pedro Sánchez, this kind of stupidity was probably to be expected.
And a policy that went a long way towards destroying the already collapsing Spanish tourism industry even before the mandatory outdoor mask-wearing was implemented in May, 2020.
After all, few tourists want to head to a Spanish beach and then be forced to wear a mask all day when they get there.
Mandatory mask-wearing outdoors in Spain ends June 26th
According to Sanchez today, the law on mandatory mask-wearing outdoors will end on Saturday, June 26th. All that’s left is for the Spanish cabinet to approve the decision on June 24th.
The Spanish PM said the decision has been made to end mandatory mask-wearing outdoors in Spain due to almost 35 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines having been administered in the country so far.
That means around 45% of those living in Spain has been given at least one dose.
Still a long way from the number of vaccines needed to create so-called ‘herd immunity’ (70% of the population), but heading in the right direction.
Meanwhile, Spain’s tourism industry has lost well over 100 billion euros in the last 15 months, with daily losses continuing ever day until now.
Losses not due to Covid-19, but due to the Spanish government’s reaction to it, and to their implementation of some of the strictest restrictions in the world.
With much of this year’s tourism industry also expected to be adversely affected, especially due to the British government extending that country’s lockdowns and Covid-19 restrictions through mid-July, removing mandatory mask-wearing outdoors in Spain at this late date isn’t likely to have much of a positive effect.
It will, however, make those who do head to Spain happy their holiday will be that little bit less uncomfortable.