Last week following the President’s Conference in Madrid, the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sanchez, announced that all the regions had agreed to bring back the mandatory use of masks in public outdoor spaces from Christmas Eve, including in the Canary Islands, with some exceptions. However, misinterpretation of these exceptions means that people are knowingly, or unknowingly, not wearing masks.
The order to reintroduce masks was published in the Official Boletin (BOE) on Thursday 23rd December, in which it states: “This norm modifies article 6 of Law 2/2021, of March 29, so that it establishes the mandatory use of masks for all people six years of age and older on public roads, in outdoor spaces and in closed spaces of use public, or that are open to the public, as well as in transport.”
“However, the use of the mask outdoors is excepted during individual sports, and also during activities that are not of a sporting nature, but are carried out in natural spaces, provided that, in both cases, the minimum distance of 1.5 metres is maintained with other people who are not living together.”
This means in basic terms, that masks are mandatory when walking on public roads, streets, pavements, plazas, beachfront walkways, to the pub, in restaurants (when not seated), in shopping centres, around the pool or on the beach (when not sunbathing or swimming), etc, regardless of social distancing.
You don’t have to wear one when in a private open space, i.e. your own terrace, or garden, or when in an open natural space (off public roads), for example when taking a walk in the hills as long as distancing is maintained with non-cohabitants.
This change in the law, reverting back to before June 26th 2021 when the use of masks was relaxed, is to help the reduction of community transmission of the coronavirus, given the ability of masks to block the emission and reception of aerosols. It is a temporary measure, which will be in force until the current epidemiological situation improves.
