The Congress of Deputies has passed a motion to eliminate the mandatory use of masks in enclosed spaces. That is, Congress has asked the executive to abandon the last major measures of the pandemic still in effect. And it did so, interestingly, with the votes of the PSOE minutes after Sánchez refused to waive the obligation. What is happening to the mask and why are we one of the last countries in Europe to keep it in?

Petition to the government backed by the ruling party. Two different motions this week (one from VOX and one from Cs) asked the Government to remove the mandatory nature of masks in confined spaces. The fate of the two seemed to be rejected in Congress, but at the last moment he joined the socialist party Ciudadanos. Thus the PSOE was voted in favor of Vox and Ciudadanos; the abstention of United We Can, More Country and the rest of the “progressive bloc”; and votes against PP, PNV and the Canary Coalition.

Because right now? The key was a socialist shift, replacing the demand to “establish a de-escalation schedule” with something much less specific (“Take appropriate steps to address a reassessment of the measures taken to contain the COVID-19 pandemic”). Framework for the Regional Council of the National Health System. For practical purposes, the issue of indoor masks has long since ceased to be a health issue, but was re-enacted.

Sanchez did not give a date. First of all, because Pedro Sánchez said minutes ago in Parliament that he will make the decision to remove the mask as soon as a consensus is reached in the scientific community and as soon as it is approved by health professionals: As soon as they tell us, we will do it in the next second.” “There is less than a day left until this obligation is lifted,” said , without explaining when or what objective criteria must be met.

How about the mask? Same as I was. On February 2, the Government succeeded in confirming the mandatory nature of the mask outdoors, but overthrew it two days later. According to the statement, this collective decree enacted from the beginning of February gave him the authority to remove and impose this obligation without going through parliament.

Since then, the messages have been conflicting, although the same manager has set the end of March as a reference point to talk about the end of masks. It’s not just a type of calendar, there’s no general criterion that allows us to predict when it will be eliminated. Everything is in the hands of the government’s decisions.

European minority. Meanwhile, Spain remains part of the small group of European countries that still keep the masks off. Italy, Slovakia, Lithuania and Bulgaria are still there. Greece, another of the few countries that continues to do so, will waive its obligation as of April 1.

Image | Chema Clares/GTRES