Cristina Hodgson
THE Ministry of Health has set a deadline of two days to regulate the price of the masks to avoid the commercial abuses that are taking place.
According to the Official State Bulletin published on Sunday, the government will set the maximum prices for those essential products, masks, gloves and hydroalcoholic gels, needed to combat COVID-19.
The Spanish Interministerial Medicinal Products Pricing Committee (CIPM) have 48 hours to set a maximum price for all essential products to fight COVID-19, making them accessible to all citizens.
The members of the Commission will meet via video conference to determine the maximum amount of units of each essential product that can be sold to the public, as well as the price and the labelling information needed.
“It is necessary to establish sufficient guarantees so that citizens can have access, in an informed manner and under non-abusive economic conditions, to certain protection products against the spread of COVID-19,” states this Sunday’s official bulletin.
Some regions in Spain have already taken matters into their own hands.
In the Comunidad Valenciana, citizens considered high risk and those over 65 will be supplied with these essential products for free.
Cataluña will distribute face masks starting this Monday. The first will be free, and the second will be sold for 60 cents.
In Ginés, Sevilla, 12,000 masks, fabricated by 150 seamstresses in the area using material provided by the City Council, have been distributed free of charge in one day.
