Mascareta Al Pati No, a group wanting to see an end to the obligatory wearing of masks by schoolchildren outdoors in the Balearics, has registered what are so far 6,441 petition signatures with the Balearic education ministry.
In a statement on Friday, the group - No To Masks In The Playground - notes that pupils are now subject to the same regulations as in September 2020, when the pandemic was in full swing and there were no vaccines. They consider that it is "completely incongruous" that the government can allow the reopening of nightlife or an increase in bar and restaurant capacity - "indoor places without a mask" - while pupils have to wear masks in playgrounds and for physical education.
The group rejects the education ministry's proposal to wait until January to review the measures, as these must be updated according to incidence and other indicators. In this respect, masks outdoors should already have been scrapped, given the low incidence. "It is a nonsense to say that they will be reviewed at Christmas, when the incidence will surely increase because of holidays and celebrations."
The group is not ruling out protests.