Covid: Face mask rules change in Spain

Health chiefs confirm new regulations.

SPANISH health authorities have confirmed that face masks are not compulsory outdoors when people can maintain a safe distance of 1.5 metres.

It will remain mandatory to carry a mask at all times to comply with health measures covering situations outdoors when social distancing cannot be observed – and inside spaces.

Changes come into force on Saturday June 26 but Health Minister Carolina Darias released details of the new rules after a meeting of central and regional government health departments.

The legal changes will be agreed by the Spanish government at a special meeting yesterday and Darias said laws would still require face coverings are worn indoors, on public transport and outside when social distancing cannot be observed.

“It is a homogenous criterion for the whole country. This is what’s important: a clear, simple message that can be understood by all citizens,” said Darias. She said the change came because of the improved health situation across the country and the success of the vaccination rollout in Spain.

“If we look back, one of the elements that we have most associated with the
pandemic is the mandatory use of face masks,” she said. “It’s a non-pharmaceutical measure that has been tremendously useful in controlling transmission. But the shift in the pandemic, with positive figures, is bringing us to the path towards the new normality.”