The end of the mandatory use of masks, approved on Tuesday by the Council of Ministers and enters into force this Wednesday, worries half of Spain. 48.5% are “little or not at all safe” when they think about their day-to-day life without a mask, compared to 48.4% who are “very or quite safe”, according to a survey flash made to 500 people by 40dB. for EL PAÍS and Cadena SER between Monday and Tuesday. In what there is a clear majority is in the percentage of the population that thinks that it is a hasty measure (54%, while 28.2% who say that it is the right time and 10.2% who express that it arrives afternoon). There are also the majority who will continue to use it in the areas where it will no longer be mandatory.
Whoever wants to leave it, can do so in any interior space, except in public transport, discretionary (such as taxis), in health services of all kinds, residences (for visitors and workers) and pharmacies, where, for the time being, it will continue to be mandatory. Despite this, 70% believe it is quite or very likely to continue covering their faces in shops, a percentage very similar to that of those who will continue to do so in cinemas, theaters or exhibitions. 62.5% will continue to wear it (fairly or very probably) in sports centers or gyms, a figure similar to that of bars and restaurants and study or work centers.
In the work environment, the general rule will be that each employee does what he considers appropriate, but the obligation will ultimately be subject to what the occupational risk departments decide.
Among the population that will continue to use the protection, there are mainly those over 65 years of age, while at the other extreme, that of those who are clear that they will not, there are more young people between 18 and 24 years of age, who are also the ones who most They support that the measure comes at the right time.
This is consistent with the recommendations of public health experts and the Ministry of Health. Despite the fact that it will no longer be mandatory, they insist on making “responsible use” of the face mask and appeal above all to the population most vulnerable to complications from covid, which includes those over 60, pregnant women and immunocompromised patients. .
In behavior regarding the mask, the survey has also detected ideological biases. The majority of all voters of all political parties believe that the measure has come too soon, although among those of Vox, 4 out of 10 think that it should have been taken before. Those who most support that the time is now are the voters of the parties that make up the Government (PSOE and United We Can).
The voters of the extreme right-wing party are the ones who are most confident with the new rule and those who are most convinced that they will stop wearing it in places where it will no longer be mandatory.
In terms of gender, there are no major differences, but women are more likely to continue using protection in bars and restaurants and men are more confident with the new regulations.
Spain has been one of the most rigid Western countries regarding the use of masks. In its day it was one of the few that joined the obligation to wear it outdoors (he even imposed it by law, even though there was no one around) and is one of the last in the European Union to abandon indoor taxation. When the Government eliminated the mandatory nature of the mask outdoors, it was also very common for many citizens to continue using the protection, something that is also likely to happen in covered areas.
The opinions shown by citizens in the survey coincide with the warnings that a sector of public health experts have been making. Although there was no unanimity among them, some considered that it was not the best time to remove the masks just after Easter and with a new surveillance strategy released less than a month ago that allows people with mild symptoms to lead a normal life.
The first data on infections after the holiday period, published this Tuesday, have shown a rebound, both in infections and hospitalizations. Although the diagnoses are no longer indicated for the majority of the population, they do continue for those over 60 years of age. Among them, the cumulative incidence at 14 days is 505.8 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, 70 more than in the last report, from April 12. According to the new covid traffic light for Health, the risk of transmission has gone from low to medium.
This Tuesday there were 5,635 patients hospitalized for covid in Spain, 15% more than a week ago. In the ICU, however, admissions continue to fall: according to the latest report, 345 people are in intensive care, 23 fewer than seven days earlier.