Face masks will no longer be mandatory in hospitals and pharmacies in Spain

Almost three and a half years after the start of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, Spain has declared the end of the Covid-19 health emergency by scrapping the last restriction.

The Ministry of Health agreed on Friday, 23 June to drop the mandatory mask rule in hospitals and pharmacies, the only places where the requirment was being enforced.

The decision will be confirmed by the government's Cabinet in the coming weeks, and although the date has yet to be decided, some sources suggest that it could be as early as tomorrow (Tuesday, 27 June). From then on, face masks will only be required in areas of hospitals where there are immunocompromised patients, such as oncology units, or in operating theatres and intensive care units.

The withdrawal of mandatory facemasks has been a gradual process that started on 10 February last year, when the end of their use outdoors was approved, and continued a few months later, on 22 April, when the indoor restriction was lifted.

According to the latest data from the Ministry of Health the cumulative incidence of Covid-19 infections in people aged over 60, the only group of people where the virus is still being monitored, stands at 66.52 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, while coronavirus patients account for only 1.42% of hospitalisations and 1.12% in ICUs.