Starting today, February 7, citizens, as well as travellers visiting Spain, will no longer be required to wear a face mask on public transport as such a requirement has been officially lifted.
- Advertisem*nt -
According to the government of Spain, the decision to lift the mandatory mask requirement on public transport was taken after evaluating the current COVID situation in the country and concluding that there is an ‘epidemiological stability’, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
Despite the government deciding to no longer require passengers to wear a face mask on public transport, it has been stressed that the measure will continue to remain in force for all healthcare workers and visitors entering healthcare facilities.
“The government will put an end to the obligation to wear a mask on public transport, but it will remain in health establishments,” the Spanish government highlighted.
Commenting on the decision to drop the mandatory mask requirement on public transport, the Spanish Minister of Health, Carolina Darias, said that the Coronavirus measures will be coordinated throughout the whole country as soon as the decision officially enters into force.
Furthermore, Minister Darias pointed out that all decisions related to the COVID measures that have been taken so far have been agreed upon by the International Council of the National Health System.
In comparison to last year, the number of COVID infection cases in Spain has significantly fallen. Data provided by the World Health Organisation show that Spain has recorded 9,053 new infection cases in the last seven days. The same source reveals that during this period, Spain recorded 278 new deaths.
Regarding vaccination rates, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control discloses that 85.9 per cent of the adult population had completed primary vaccination. Moreover, another 67.4 per cent has received the first booster dose, and 22.2 per cent have received a second booster shot.
Just like Spain, Germany has also dropped that mandatory mask requirement on long-distance trains and buses. The mandatory mask requirement on long-distance trains and buses in Germany was officially dropped on February 2 after the authorities evaluated the epidemiological situation.
The decision to drop such a requirement was welcomed by the Minister of Health of Germany, Karl Lauterbach, who said that the COVID situation in the country has significantly improved compared to last year.
Moreover, Minister Lauterbach also stressed that the number of hospitalisations has fallen too and noted that the country does not expect another wave of COVID this winter.
