The new regulations for the wearing of masks take effect on Saturday. Most of the attention has been paid to masks outdoors, but the regulations also apply indoors - to residents of care homes who will not have to wear masks from Saturday (80% have been fully vaccinated). Care home workers and visitors will still need to wear masks.
The royal decree law concerning the new regulations was approved by the cabinet on Thursday. Masks will no longer be mandatory outdoors as from Saturday, provided that a safe distance of 1.5 metres is maintained. They will continue to be compulsory at mass events in the open air at which people will be standing, in closed spaces for public use (e.g. shops) as well as on public transport.
Data from the national ministry of health indicate that half the Spanish population has been vaccinated at least once - 23,772,029 people. A record for the number of doses administered on one day was set on Wednesday - 680,540. Over 15 million people have been immunised (completed the vaccination course): 31.9% of the population. This target has been reached a few days later than had been calculated; it was scheduled to have been last week.
Health minister Carolina Darias says that two milestones have therefore been set - 50% of the population vaccinated once and 15 million people immunised - and that more than four million doses will be administered over the next seven days.