- The Government say they will not require people to wear masks until such time as they are accessible to all members of the public.
- On price control: “We are not going to allow anyone to inflate prices”
The Minister of Health, Salvador Illa, has confirmed that the Government will not make the use of masks mandatory if there is not enough capacity for the entire population to have access to them. “The Government is not going to demand something that cannot be fulfilled. Until such time as we have a capacity it will simply be a recommendation,” he said at a press conference on Sunday.
Illa has defended the Government’s change in position regarding the use of masks by the public, citing the “new recommendations” of the World Health Organization (WHO) and recently published studies, which agree that their use could substantially curb infections due to the fact that there is a part of the population that is infected but asymptomatic (carriers).
“The Ministry is studying these recommendations and we will communicate our decision which will always be based on the opinion of the experts,” he said, also stating that their compulsory use will not be imposed until there is availability for the entire population.
A day earlier the Prime Minister said that he was monitoring the situation regarding inflated prices for many items in short supply saying that he has put “all the means in place that will prevent anyone from attempting to benefit from a situation as harsh” as that of the coronavirus. “Prices are being monitored. We are not going to allow anyone to try to inflate them in this situation,” insisting that the Government is monitoring the prices of both facemasks and hydroalcoholic gels as well as other types of medical devices that are necessary in the fight against Covid-19.
“We are going to guarantee, to the best of our ability, this protective equipment for workers and the population as a whole, and we are going to guarantee the price of these materials,” Sánchez said in an appearance at the Palacio de the Moncloa.
“We have done this also because of the need to establish controlled prices in funeral services. We issued an order a few days ago regarding this matter and now we are going to make companies guarantee the provision of this material for people with fewer resources. This is requirement that we have made as a government and, obviously, it is a right that the public also have, “added prime Minister.
