This Wednesday, many workers and customers in Lanzarote have finally been able to see each other's faces and smiles, albeit in a rather timid way, with the entry into force of the rule that puts an end to masks indoors.
After 700 days of mandatory use since the beginning of the state of alarm in 2020, masks are no longer mandatory in most spaces, and should only be kept in social and health centers, in all types of transport and in hospitals. However, there are still many people in Lanzarote who are reluctant to abandon them.
In the case of companies, many have decided to leave the decision to their workers whether to wear masks or not, although in general, most follow the recommendation to use them.
“In my place the mask is not mandatory, there are two workers who wear it, but the rest of us have decided to get rid of it, and I think that little by little everyone will leave it aside”, says Carlos, owner of the El Cortadito cafeteria.
“I am not obliged to wear a mask while I work, but I prefer to wear it for security reasons”, adds a clerk in a shoe store in Arrecife. “There are no more sick leaves due to covid, or quarantines, people can go to work even if they are infected, so I prefer to keep it, at least for the moment”.
In a bank in the capital they are in the same situation. “We can use it optionally, but most of us keep it out of respect for the client, since we are in contact with a lot of people on a daily basis and very poor ventilation, we have no windows”, says the manager, although in other banks employees have been told that they must continue using it.
Other businesses have also decided to make the mask mandatory for all their workers, as is the case of the Spar supermarket and a hairdresser in Arrecife. “We don't know how long we are going to have to use it, but I suppose that the directive will be analyzing the BOE, which has come out today, to know more details, although I suppose it will be reviewed”, points out the manager of Spar.
Vanesa Frahija, insular secretary of Comisiones Obreras (CCOO), considers that "within the same company there may be workers who have to wear it and others who do not, since it is not the same to work in the office of a supermarket with its own office, than at the checkout, charging customers”. "“In any case, companies will be testing to see to what extent they are necessary, although I think that in sectors such as restaurants and shops the most prudent thing would be to keep them”, she adds.
For her part, Jesica, the owner of a hairdresser in Arrecife, insists that the mask should be mandatory in her sector, at least for the moment, since “hairdressers work on clients and keeping distances is impossible”.
In the case of hotels and restaurants, some workers will have to continue wearing it, at least for another month. “I hope that things will ease this month and it will not be necessary to extend it”, adds Paco Martínez, vice president of Asolan and president of the Lanzarote Business Confederation.
“In some jobs it is a pain, especially for cooks and waiters, since they have to move constantly and sweat a lot, but after two years, nothing happens for another month”, says the vice president of Asolan.
Customers do not abandon the mask
As far as customers are concerned, most seem reluctant to abandon masks, at least during the first day of the measure's entry into force.
“Here only about 3 out of 30 customers enter the store without a mask”, says a clerk. In the bank and the supermarket, the situation is repeated, although they believe that “little by little customers will get used to not using it, especially when the heat arrives”. “Today 90% have brought it with them, but some have even asked me if they had to put it on when they saw most people with it”, says the bank manager.
“A large percentage do enter with the mask, but as the days go by there will be everything”, predicts the hairdresser for her part. “We are going to try to get them to continue bringing it, due to the proximity to the client, but it is true that we cannot legally force them”.
Finally, there are sectors that are not very clear about what is the guideline or recommendation to follow, such as the driving school sector.
