As of tomorrow, Thursday, May 21, and as published in the BOE, the use of masks will be mandatory for all people over the age of six in outdoor spaces and in closed spaces for public use or that are open to the public. public when it is not possible to maintain a safety distance of at least two meters. Although it is not mandatory, its use is also recommended for children between three and five years old.
Within this rule, four exceptions to the use of the mask are indicated: it will not be compulsory for people suffering from any respiratory condition that may be aggravated by using the mask, for people for whom it is a contraindication for health reasons (duly justified ), due to force majeure or a situation of need, and in the case of carrying out any activity that, by its nature, the use of the mask is incompatible.
So do I have to wear a mask to train outdoors?
The truth is that the BOE does not specify anything regarding sports practice, although it could be included within the last point of the exceptions (activities that are incompatible with the use of the mask).
In any case, as the experts consulted told us when we talked about sports masks, the most important thing is to maintain a safety distance of at least two meters (although some mathematical models tell us of at least 10 meters if we are running and of up to 25 meters if we ride a bicycle) with the people we meet. In case of not being able to maintain the safety distance, the mask would become mandatory and essential.
Despite the fact that the BOE does not specifically talk about sports practice, according to the SER network, sources from the Ministry of Health have confirmed that sport would fall under this last exception, and the use of masks is not mandatory when we go out to train on the air free.
The BOE also does not speak of the possible sanctions that could be received in the event that the use of the masks is not complied with, but the same sources from the Ministry of the Interior speak of sanctions applied with the criterion of “proportionality”.
What the BOE does say is that the mask, regardless of the model or type we use, must cover our nose and mouth in order to collaborate in reducing community transmission of the coronavirus.
We also remember the safety measures to put on and take off the mask correctly, according to the experts: with clean hands, previously washed with soap and water, we take the mask from the rubber part and place it on the nose and mouth, covering both. We adjust the small nose plate correctly, in case our mask has it, and we end up washing our hands again.
It is important that we do not manipulate the mask while we are wearing it to avoid contaminating it and that, when removing it, we also do so by taking it from the rubbers and with clean hands.
Slots are maintained for outdoor sports practice
As long as the state of alarm we are in lasts, the practice of sports will remain restricted for amateur athletes, in the case of municipalities with more than 5,000 inhabitants, to the bands we already knew: from 06:00 to 10:00 the morning and from 20:00 to 23:00 at night, being able to train once a day and always individually. This rule applies to municipalities in phase 0 or phase 1, in the case of non-federated athletes.