When can we take off our mask outdoors in Spain?

Now that the State of Alarm has ended, the next step to reach the desired normality is that the use of the mask outdoors is no longer mandatory in Spain. For now, no one dares to give a specific date about when this moment will come, although this Tuesday the Xunta de Galicia, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has assured that it will be in July or August. The debate is on the table, and everything will depend on the rate of vaccination.According to the forecasts of the Pedro Sánchez Government, on August 18 70% of the Spanish population will have received the complete vaccine schedule and, therefore, Spain you will have achieved group immunity. Experts believe that this moment will be a turning point in the fight against Covid-19. Even so, they warn that it cannot be 100% ruled out that those vaccinated can transmit the disease, although to a lesser extent than those who have not received any dose. For this reason, from the Spanish Society of Epidemiology (SEE) they appeal to calm and responsibility. They insist on the importance that vaccinated people continue to maintain prevention measures: use of a mask, hand hygiene, social distance and frequent ventilation of closed spaces.What will happen when 70% of the population in Spain has received the two doses of the coronavirus vaccine? According to experts, it will be then that we could begin to talk about eliminating the mandatory use of the mask in the open air. Therefore, according to the government’s forecasts, this will not happen at least until mid-August.However, Rafael Bengoa, former director of Health Systems at the World Health Organization and former Obama adviser on health matters, believes that the authorities could allow being outdoors without a mask before reaching 70% of the population vaccinated. In an interview with EITB, he explained that since the end of June or the beginning of July the mask will only be mandatory in closed spaces or when we are in contact with vulnerable people. The truth is that there are more and more voices that question the fact of wearing mask outdoors but then be able to remove it inside bars and restaurants, although at the moment no one is able to predict if we will remove the mask outdoors in Spain in June, July or August, what does seem to be clear is that it will be throughout the summer.