Face masks now obligatory everywhere in Spain

New law, passed on 30 March, makes the rule compulsory in public spaces

As of today, people in Spain must wear a mask every time they go out in public, no matter what distances they keep from other persons. That includes beaches, parks, forests, sidewalks even if there are no other people in sight. The tough new measure was introduced as a law on 30 March, published in the State Gazette and builds upon existing measures.

What will that mean for tourism this summer?

The move of the central government was prompted by a rise in infections over the last 14 days from 128 cases to 149 cases per 100,000 people. That, and the recent influx of young Europeans attracted to the warm weather and more lenient situation in places like Madrid have angered locals, who on the other hand were already anxious about upcoming Easter regional lockdowns.

There are some exceptions to the rule, however. People who are engaged in sports, such as jogging will not have to wear a mask. The same goes for persons who have health conditions that make it harder for them to breathe or disabled people who need help.

Naturally, previous rules on wearing masks in closed spaces remain in force. Yet, many have wondered what that will mean for cases, such as bars and restaurants with outdoor seating. Rules have not been clarified on whether people will be able to consume food and drinks and remove their masks.

Since this is a national law, it will apply to the whole territory of the Iberian country, which means that regional governments will not have a say in amending it to their own specifications. Up until now, different regions had been subject to different restrictions. For example, in Galicia and Valencia face masks were already mandatory in public spaces, but that was not the case for Catalonia or Andalusia.