Health professionals split over end of face mask requirement indoors

Health professionals in Catalonia are split over the decision to end the face mask requirement in most indoor settings across Spain from April 20.

While some hospitals believe the decision may have come too early, several doctors think limiting such protections only in health centers and on public transport is reasonable. 

The Catalan government agrees with the eased restriction, and criticizes Spain for not having enforced it before. 

According to the health department, "there is no scientific basis" proving that the public will benefit from maintaining face masks during Easter. Also, they say that a progressive lifting of the measure should have already begun "weeks ago" in order to see its impact. 

Delaying the decision "is only leading to lower compliance" of the restriction, says the ministry led by Josep Maria Argimon, who has proposed for schools to begin their last term of the academic year already without masks – meaning not using them from April 19, and not April 20. 

'Indoors we want to hurry too much'

As for health professionals, the director of Hospital de Campdevànol, close to the Pyrenees, Joan Grané, is concerned about the measure. 

"The figures we have are not good. Face masks make no sense outdoors, but indoors we want to hurry too much."

"People will not stay home and this virus likes close contacts," he said, calling for caution during Easter holiday period. 

His standpoint is similar to that of the infectious diseases head in Barcelona's Hospital del Mar, Juan Pablo Horcajada, who says "it is a bit early" to remove face masks in certain indoor settings, especially those spaces commonly shared also with vulnerable people. 

For him, schools and gyms are "less risky" because they are not typical places to find people who can develop a serious condition. 

On the other hand, certain places with a lot of people talking or singing could be more prone to affect vulnerable people.

Horcajada believes that it would be "safe" to lift face masks indoors if the number of cases per 100,000 inhabitants recorded in the previous 14 days were below 50 – at the moment, Catalonia's rate is 323.28. 

'It was time'

Yet, Hospital d'Igualada, in central Catalonia, believes the measure is "correct and it was time it came."

"Covid is in the air, but it is now quite normalized and we have learnt a lot during this time," said the director of the consortium, which includes the hospital.

Top doctors such as Antoni Trilla, head of epidemiology at Hospital Clínic, found it reasonable to lift the measure in an interview with Catalunya Ràdio station. Yet, he reminded that "while the face mask will no longer be obligatory, it will be allowed to wear it," emphasizing that it is still recommended in the event of crowds or when having close contacts with vulnerable people.