Spain makes face masks compulsory outside again - with exemptions

Latest: Coronavirus in Spain figures (4 Jan)

UPDATED on Thurs 23 Dec at 19.30h

Spain has now published new measures in the Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE) regarding the wearing of face masks outside.

It follows an announcement from Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Wednesday, following a video meeting with the heads of Spain’s 17 regions to discuss new health measures.

Sánchez said that his government would hold a special cabinet meeting on Thursday to approve a decree making the wearing of face masks outside compulsory again, to further combat the advance of the Omicron variant of Coronavirus. The new measure now comes into effect on Friday 24 December.

There are, however, many exemptions to the new ruling. Face masks are not compulsory if you are doing exercise; in natural spaces, mountains or the beach; walking alone or with members of your own household, or walking with someone not from your household but where you can maintain 1.5m of social distance.

Many regions had been calling for more action to be taken during the video conference on Wednesday. The leaders of Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha, the Valencia region, Galicia and the Basque Country had specifically made a return to outdoor face masks one of their priorities.

Spain will also be seeking the support from its Armed Forces to assist with the rollout of booster jabs, as well as re-employ retired medical professionals.

In June 2020, Spain made the wearing of face masks compulsory indoors and outdoors, for everyone aged over six if ‘social distancing’ could not be maintained. At the time, the former health minister Salvador Illa had said that the compulsory use of face masks would remain in place ‘until a vaccine is found’.

In May 2021, Spain’s Inter-Territorial Council of the National Health System published a new agreement on the mandatory use of face masks, allowing for some exemptions whilst on the beach or at swimming pools.

On 26 June 2021, Spain finally stopped making face masks outside compulsory.

Coronavirus figures in Spain on Thursday showed that the overall incidence rate had risen to 911 per 100,000 inhabitants for the past 14 days. It was over 1,000 in seven regions. Also read: Coronavirus in Spain figures (23 Dec).

Based on data up to 22 December, 37,832,328 people have been fully vaccinated in Spain, representing 79.7% of the total population (89.8% of the population aged over 12). Spain has also given a booster dose of the Covid vaccine to over 12.2 million citizens. Also read: Covid-19 Vaccinations in Spain.

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