Health and CCAA agree to withdraw the mandatory nature of masks in health centers, social health centers and pharmacies

MADRID, 23 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Ministry of Health and the autonomous communities have agreed this Friday "by consensus", within the framework of the Interterritorial Council of the National Health System (CISNS), the withdrawal of the mandatory nature of masks in health centers, social health centers and pharmacies.

As confirmed to Europa Press by health sources, from now on, after approval by the Council of Ministers, instead of an obligation, it will only be recommended to wear masks in these spaces.

In any case, as Miñones has slipped in recent weeks, the mandatory nature of masks could still be maintained in some healthcare spaces where there are special characteristics and immunocompromised patients, such as ICUs, oncology areas, operating rooms or the Emergency Department.

The decision was made, according to these sources, after listening to the technical report from the experts from the Health Alerts and Emergencies Coordination Center (CCAES), led by Dr. Fernando Simón. Miñones has already advanced in recent days that this measure would only be taken "listening to the experts."

After this "consensus" reached by Health and the regional councilors, now it will have to be the Government that sets the exact day on which the obligation falls. Predictably, the Executive could take this matter to the ordinary Council of Ministers on Tuesday. Subsequently, it would be published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) and, thus, it would enter into force.

The measure, produced in full run-up to the General Elections on July 23, has been described as "electoralist" by several autonomous communities, mainly from the PP, such as the Community of Madrid.

For example, the acting Madrid Minister of Health, Enrique Ruiz Escudero, has underlined, before the CISNS, the "absolutely irregular from beginning to end" nature of this meeting, with 12 acting directors after the regional elections on May 28 .

"It is impossible to celebrate an Interterritorial Council with 12 acting councillors, many of whom are going to change their political sign, and above all to do it with a minister that we asked of him, he makes a monographic Interterritorial Council on human resources when he enters as minister and he told us that it could not be done because we entered an electoral period", he criticized.

Until now, masks were mandatory in health centers and services such as hospitals, health centers, dental clinics, assisted human reproduction centers, centers for the voluntary termination of pregnancy, and other specialized care centers.

They also had to be used in pharmacies and residences, although in the latter place it was only mandatory for the professionals who work there whenever they were in contact with residents and for visitors when they were in shared areas.

Four months ago, on February 8, Spain ceased to be the only country in Europe that maintained the mandatory use of masks on public transport. This measure came months after the rest of the countries on the continent approved it, although in many the recommendation to use it in closed spaces and on public transport in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus continued to be maintained.

The removal of masks in transport occurred almost a year after their use ceased to be mandatory abroad, a measure approved on February 10, 2022, and a few months later (on April 20, 2022) after It is no longer used indoors.

Now, the Spanish will also be able not to wear the mask in pharmacies and health centers, something they have had to do throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. With the measure approved this Friday by the CISNS, almost 'de facto' ends all the restrictions that were imposed with the outbreak of the virus more than three years ago.