RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Spain is becoming a pioneer among the larger countries of the EU. As of this week, Covid-positive people no longer have to be quarantined. Thus a central instrument of the Covid policy falls.
The obligation to wear a mask indoors still exists, but the opposition also puts pressure on this.
If you don’t get sick in Spain, you are considered healthy. Mild colds no longer have to be reported. And even a positive test does not mean isolation. As long as you don’t develop any significant symptoms, you remain without official isolation.
MANDATORY MASKS IN SCHOOLS FOR THE TIME BEING
Since this Monday, the new way of dealing with Covid has been in effect. Also, test and notification obligations must be omitted unless it concerns a severe course.
Otherwise, the family doctor is to be responsible. This means that there is not much left of Covid in Spain. A test for healthy people has cost a hefty price for some time now. Only in the case of a more severe course is one tested.
Masks are still compulsory indoors, including in schools, but this is also likely to disappear soon.
The opposition is currently trying to put the government under pressure on the subject of masks. A motion to this effect will be tabled in Parliament next week.
For parts of the opposition, whose driving force, in this case, is the Ciudadanos party, a pro-Spanish “progressive-democratic” party from Catalonia, it is “unacceptable that this ‘banality’ is being played with.” He said there is currently “no scientific evidence” for the usefulness of mandatory masks indoors.
Other countries would even show the opposite: In Belgium, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Norway, Hungary, the United States, the mask requirement has been abolished, Ciudadanos says.
One also demands a kind of roadmap for the end of all remaining corona regulations in the country. This is to provide “certainty” for people and businesses in the country.
AT THE END OF COVID?
In Spain, regions have relative autonomy in their health policies. As a result, restrictions have been handled differently. And even now, individual regions continue to press.
The Canary Islands had already dropped many rules on Saturday, “for the time being,” they stressed. Entrants are also not yet wholly exempt. To be allowed to enter Spain, one of the three Covid certificates must be presented.
But already now, there were again and again reports that the examination of the certificate happened relatively rarely within land borders.
CONSERVATIVE OPPOSITION HELPED
Is Madrid relaxing the rules because the conservative, patriotic and EU-critical party “VOX” is growing stronger in the polls? It is now the second strongest party, ahead of the Partido Popular “PP”.
In the Castile and Leon region, “VOX” has recently been in government. It forms a coalition with the PP. With 21%, it is only about 4% behind the ruling PSOE.