Spain has relaxed its indoor face mask policy for the first time in nearly two years.
As of yesterday, people no longer need to wear face masks in the majority of indoor public spaces in the country, such as bars, restaurants, shops and cinemas, for the first time since May 2020.
However, masks remain mandatory on public transport, as well as in hospitals, medical centres, nursing homes and care homes – although patients won’t be obliged to wear them.
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Health Minister Carolina Darias said on Tuesday: “The mask without doubt has been one of the most identifiable measures over the past two years and it will no longer be obligatory.
“They will continue to be with us as an element of protection, particularly for the most vulnerable.”
Although they are no longer compulsory, masks are still encouraged in enclosed public spaces, at large events and around people who are clinically vulnerable.
The UK Foreign Office website states: “The Spanish government recommends you use [masks] in the following circumstances: enclosed public spaces such as shops, cinemas, bars and restaurants, at large events (e.g. concerts, sporting events), when in the company of people considered clinically vulnerable or high-risk and social distancing of 1.5m cannot be observed, at family gatherings, in any other enclosed communal spaces open to the public.”