Mask Wearing when Visiting Spain
One such mark left by the Coronavirus is the face mask that everyone needs to wear. But after so many advances to tackle the pandemic, do I need to wear a mask in Spain?
Since the latter half of 2019, from the first outbreak of the Covid19, the virus has turned into a form of terror among people from different parts of the world. The pandemic has left a mark on everyone’s mind that they won’t be able to remove soon.
Situation in Spain
The virus arrived in Spain by the end of January 2020 and has recorded almost 2 and a half million cases to date with almost 70,000 people losing the battle against the virus. The situation now has come under a lot of control with the government making strict rules and restrictions to prevent the spread of the virus. The most important part of this battle against the virus has been the developments in the medical facilities and the sheer hard work of the medical staff to work day in day out to bring out people from the clutches of the virus.
With the development of the vaccine, almost all people above 70 got their two doses of the vaccine. More than 30 million people already have both shots among the whole population of Spain which is more than 60% of the total population. As of the current situation, the government of Spain on July 26th scraped off the rule of people wearing face masks with only certain rules and regulations.
The government already mentioned where people can take off their masks and where people need to wear them
Wearing a mask in Spain, where and how?
- Indoor facilities: People need to wear their face masks inside any public indoor facilities such as cinemas, shopping malls, museums, and libraries.
- Public transportation: People need to wear a face mask whenever inside a mode of public transport. The only exception is when the medium of transport is open, like on the orlop of the boat but the people can open their mask only if they can maintain a significant distance away from each other. The significant distance is usually more than 1.5metre.
- Busy outdoor areas: According to the new regulations people do not need to wear a face mask outside, but in spaces that are busy like in a shopping street where people can’t maintain a 1.5metre distance, people need to wear their masks. People do not need to wear their masks when they can keep a significant distance from others.
- Beaches: People don’t have to wear their face masks at the beach unless they can’t keep a 1.5 meter distance
- Events: People do need to wear their masks whenever they are at any big event outdoors, such as a festival or concert, where it becomes practically impossible to maintain the significant distance required. The football stadiums can receive audiences after more than a year with a capacity of 40% of their total capacity.
- Schools: The new academic year might start from September and decisions regarding the opening of the schools. Even if the schools open, students will need to wear a mask for all who are above 6 years as most of the population of students don’t have the two shots.
Face masks restrictions in Spain
The mask rules are the same everywhere around Spain, but certain regions have adapted to the rules differ according to on the fear of the coronavirus of the particular region. Andalusia has the highest rate of incidence in Spain and hence the practice of wearing face masks when going outside is highly recommended even after the new mask rule all over the country. Also in Asturias, wearing face masks is recommended in most situations as the number the cases are comparatively higher than in most of the other regions.
The government recommends even though it is not compulsory, to wear the mask everywhere but people have to always carry a face mask and use that according to the situation where ever required.
Consequences for not following the new rules for face masks
The police can impose a fine of €100 if the people don’t use a face mask in places outdoors where there is a presence of a large crowd or gathering and the people are unable to maintain a significant distance from each other.
The condition of the people against the covid 19 viruses in Spain has become a lot better almost 2/3rd of the population have both shots of the vaccine. People can go around outside without a face mask but they need to wear a face mask wherever it is impossible to keep a significant distance from other people.