Masks for the masses

CBN newsdesk team

IN line with a government initiative to hand out 10 million facemasks to users of public transport this week, town halls started to distribute them on Tuesday.

The national government sent a total of 400,000 facemasks to Alicante province for people who were going back to work this week after a two-week layoff.

Small municipalities with populations below 10,000 were excluded from the scheme.

Torrevieja town hall spokesman Federico Alarcón stated that local police, Guardia Civil and Protección Civil volunteers were giving masks to bus users travelling to their places of work. They have 20,000 to hand out at bus stops around the municipality.

He said use of a mask is recommended when a person is not able to keep a distance of two metres between themselves and other people.

It is not necessary to wear one when travelling alone in a private car, on a motorbike or on foot, he added.

Sr Alarcón noted that company owners should guarantee the safety of their employees in their place of work.

Elche started distributing 56,000 of these masks on Tuesday to people at public transport stops and stations, then proceeded to industrial estates over the following days.

Orihuela town hall handed out masks at the train station and bus stops all over the municipality on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Alicante commuters were able to obtain masks from local and National Police and Protección Civil volunteers, and at Tram and busy bus stops throughout the city.

In Benidorm, masks were distributed at the local bus terminus and the Tram stations.

In Alfaz del Pi, local police were handing them out at bus and tram stops on Monday and Tuesday between 07.00 and 10.00 and in the afternoon between 14.00 and 17.00.

The council had 2,000 delivered by the Alicante provincial government for its citizens.