What Are Spain’s New Rules For Wearing Masks?

New data reveals efficacy of cloth and surgical Covid masks

Masks have been a part of life since the start of the pandemic but they are still required indoors. Image: Twitter

Spain’s new rules for wearing masks come into effect tomorrow, Saturday June 26.
Masks will no longer have to be worn outdoors so long as a distance of 1.5-metres can observed. But everyone must carry a mask with them as they will still be required in crowded areas, in shops and on public transport.
The government said, “When people are outside their home, they must have a face mask for personal use on them at all times in case it is required or in anticipation of crowds or the need to wear it in indoor spaces or on public transportation.”
It will no longer be mandatory for residents of social service centres to wear a face mask if more than 80 per cent of residents have received both doses of a Covid vaccination. Visitors or workers will however still have to wear a mask.
The new rules apply across Spain.
“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 Health Minister Carolina Darias.
“If we look back, one of the elements that we have most associated with the pandemic is the mandatory use of face masks. 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,” she added.
More than half of Spain’s residents have received at least one dose of vaccine and more than 31.9 per cent have received both.
On June 23, more than 680,000 people had a jab, more than the 654,000 injections administered on June 11.
More than 80 per cent people aged 40 or older have had one injection and 47 per cent have had both.
The government’s goal is to have 33 million people vaccinated in Spain by the end of August, and the country remains on track to have 25 million people with both doses by July 19.
Currently, all those over 80 years of age are fully vaccinated, as well as 96.4 per cent of those aged between 70 and 79-years-old. Of those aged from 50 to 59-years-old, 59.5 per cent have had both doses. Just over 34 per cent of 60 to 69-years-old have also had both doses.
Spain has received a total of 41,249,455 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine so far this year. The new rules on masks comes into effect tomorrow.


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Deirdre Tynan

Deirdre Tynan is an award-winning journalist who enjoys bringing the best in news reporting to Spain’s largest English-language newspaper, Euro Weekly News. She has previously worked at The Mirror, Ireland on Sunday and for news agencies, media outlets and international organisations in America, Europe and Asia. A huge fan of British politics and newspapers, Deirdre is equally fascinated by the political scene in Madrid and Sevilla. She moved to Spain in 2018 and is based in Jaen.

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