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Photo: Christophe Gateau / dpa
Shopping without a mask is possible again in Spain: after almost two years, the mask requirement will largely be lifted.
Since Wednesday, mouth and nose only have to be covered on public transport, in old people's homes and in health facilities.
"We are making progress in returning to normality as it was before the pandemic," Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wrote on Twitter.
However, experts called on the population to be careful and to voluntarily continue to wear mouth and nose protection in poorly ventilated indoor areas and in crowded pedestrian zones.
The cabinet in Madrid decided on Tuesday to abolish the mask requirement.
The danger posed by the corona virus has "decreased significantly," said Health Minister Carolina Darias after the meeting.
This is not least due to the high vaccination rate in the country that was particularly hard hit by the pandemic in spring 2020.
In Spain, around 85 percent of the population has received basic immunization.
In Germany it is about 76 percent.
The seven-day incidence in Spain on Tuesday was just under 257, in Germany it was still 669. However, not all positive tests and corona infections have to be reported.
Israel is also relaxing
Israel also announced a easing of the mask requirement indoors due to a sharp decline in new corona infections: From Saturday evening, masks should only be worn in places with a high infection potential such as hospitals, retirement homes and on airplanes, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz announced.
Masks must also be worn on the way to quarantine.
The Ministry of Health reported 4,583 new corona infections on Wednesday for the country, which is home to 9.4 million people.
Around 64 percent of the population is considered fully vaccinated.
At the end of January, the authorities were registering more than 85,000 new cases a day.
Israel had already lifted the mask requirement indoors in June last year – but only for a short time, as the number of infections had risen sharply again.
ani/AFP/dpa
