A man wearing a face mask to protect against the spread of coronavirus pauses as people walk along a street in downtown Barcelona, Spain, July 3, 2021. The Spanish government on Tuesday, July 4, 2023, declared an end to the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and says people no longer have to wear masks in health and care centers as well as pharmacies. Credit: AP Photo/Joan Mateu, File

The Spanish government on Tuesday declared an end to the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and says people no longer have to wear masks in health and care centers as well as pharmacies.

Over the past two years, Spain has gradually ended the mandatory mask wearing, first in public and then on public transport.

The country has registered 14 million cases and 122,000 deaths from the coronavirus since 2020.

The government approved the measure at a weekly Cabinet meeting. It takes effect once it's published in the State Gazette in the coming days.

  • A woman wearing a face mask reads a book on a subway in Madrid, Spain, Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022. The Spanish government on Tuesday, July 4, 2023, declared an end to the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and says people no longer have to wear masks in health and care centers as well as pharmacies. Credit: AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File

  • Catholic worshippers gather during the procession as part of the "Las Carantonas" festival in Acehuche, southeast Spain, Friday, Jan. 21, 2022. The Spanish government on Tuesday, July 4, 2023, declared an end to the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and says people no longer have to wear masks in health and care centers as well as pharmacies. Credit: AP Photo/Bernat Armangue, File

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