Health

Spaniards cast off face masks indoors for first time in 2 years

Madrid, Apr 20 (EFE).- Spaniards were able to enter indoor public spaces including offices, schools, shops and gyms without wearing a face mask for the first time in two years as the country further relaxed its Covid-19 regulations Wednesday.

The measure, which does not apply to healthcare settings or public transport, was welcomed by much of the population who felt relieved at being able to cast off the mask although some were more cautious and opted to continue to observe the measure despite the rule change.

“As a citizen I’m happy,” Gema, who works at a stall in a central Madrid market, told Efe. “We were all very eager to take them off, but in shops I think a lot of people will continue to use them.”

Rafael, who works as a butcher in the same market, added that customers entering without the face mask remained an exception on Wednesday morning despite the lifting of the rule for the first time in 700 days.

Eva, a small business owner from Barcelona, said she would continue to wear the mask.

“I don’t like the idea of sharing interior spaces with people without a mask,” the woman, who was hospitalized in 2020 for Covid-related pneumonia, added.

Things are a little different in Spain’s gyms.

“The first thing the customers ask is whether they can take the mask off, we tell them it’s optional, and each person takes it off with a smile,” Álvaro, a trainer at a Madrid gym, told Efe. EFE

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