The president of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, has asked for a solution with "common sense" to be sought, always preserving health, to the mandatory use of masks on beaches and swimming pools regardless of the interpersonal distance that may exist, which was published this Tuesday in the Official State Gazette (BOE).
This is what he stated this Wednesday in statements to the media in which he understood that if a person maintains the minimum distance or is alone on a beach and respects all other anti-COVID measures, he or she could not use the mask when bathing or sunbathing, but not to make movements within the same beach, which, he pointed out, would have to be put on to avoid contagion.
"The use of mandatory masks on beaches and swimming pools is not a consequence of an agreement now, but it is a consequence of a Decree Law of the Government of Spain from a year ago that was taken to Congress and became Law," he said to recall that in the parliamentary debate the distance was eliminated and the mandatory use of masks remained in any place.
Here, he pointed out that it is this Law that has just been published and insisted that it is not a recent decision. "We have to find a solution --he stressed-- because what we have to do is have common sense while preserving health."
Torres explained that last May the decision was made, in the face of a rebound in cases, to use the mask in movements on beaches, swimming pools and hotels, but that it could be stopped when bathing or sunbathing as long as the minimum mandatory distance was maintained.
"Therefore --he understood-- it makes some common sense. Today there are indications --during the Interterritorial meeting that takes place this Wednesday-- to find a reasonable solution to this circumstance."
However, Torres observed that images have been seen of people who do not respect the measures to prevent contagion and that this is something that the Government of the Canary Islands is "very" concerned about, so indications have been given to the state security forces to be "implacable."
"It cannot be that there are ten people without masks as we have seen on the beaches of the Canary Islands yesterday or on Monday night. We run the risk that this can get a little out of hand with an increase in infections and we are very concerned about this Holy Week," he concluded.
