Spain enforces masks in all public places, including beach

Madrid, Mar 30 (efe-epa).- Spain on Tuesday toughened its rules on wearing masks, making the face coverings mandatory in all public spaces regardless of social distancing.

“Persons six years of age and older are obliged to wear masks on public roads, in open air spaces and in any enclosed space for public use or open to the public,” the updated law, published in Tuesday’s Official State Gazette (BOE), said.

Face masks had only been mandatory in public places where social distancing of at least one and a half meters was not possible.

That rule had been in place since June 2020 when a national lockdown that lasted three months was lifted, but the country’s regions were free to implement certain changes.

But the updated law mandates that all Spanish regions must adhere to the new guidelines, which make wearing masks — even at the beach or the swimming pool — obligatory, a move that could further damage the country’s already flagging tourist industry.

People with certain medical conditions are exempt from wearing masks, while they are not mandatory for people doing exercise in public. EFE-EPA

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