Masks compulsory even with social distancing in all bar two regions – on pain of €100 fines
Masks compulsory even with social distancing in all bar two regions – on pain of €100 fines
MASKS have now become compulsory in almost every region in Spain – with a few exceptions – and in areas where this has been the case for several days already, fines are being levied on those who fail to do so.
Police in the Canary Islands, Asturias and Andalucía – so far, only the provinces of Sevilla and Granada, but with the rest set to follow – have started dishing out fines of up to €100 for failure to wear a mask in a public place.
Even smoking is not an 'excuse' to take your mask off in regions where their use is mandatory in all public areas – chief of police in Avilés (Asturias), Mario Suárez, says people who want a cigarette should move themselves to a place where they are some distance from other people to smoke, and replace their mask between puffs.
Even if they are in a group where several members smoke, they should each, individually, move away from everyone else to do so, to prevent their being anywhere near another person without a mask on.
Although masks are compulsory in public places – effectively, anywhere outside the home – everywhere in Spain, until recently, this was only the case where a distance of at least two metres between other people was not possible, meaning merely carrying a mask to put on whenever needed was normally sufficient when walking along an empty street.
Now, a growing number of regions are making them obligatory at all times when outside the home, even where social distancing can be guaranteed.
Aragón, Andalucía, Catalunya, Extremadura, the Balearic Islands, Asturias, La Rioja, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, Galicia, Navarra, the Basque Country, Cantabria, Murcia, and the Canary Islands have all made it compulsory for masks to be worn everywhere outside of private homes, even when there is nobody about and social distancing can be guaranteed.
The Comunidad Valenciana has just announced today (Saturday) that masks will also be compulsory anywhere outside the home, but unlike regions with the strictest rules, in the three Mediterranean provinces of Alicante, Valencia and Castellón it will not be mandatory to wear them on the beach, out in the countryside or by the pool.
Only the Greater Madrid region has not, as yet, tightened up its mask-wearing rules, meaning these do not, at present, have to be worn where it is possible to maintain a safe distance from the next person.
But as most of those who have tested positive for Covid-19 during the second wave of the disease are aged under 40, Madrid has urged younger adults to wear their masks constantly, even where social distancing is possible.
When permanent mask-wearing is imposed in a region, anyone caught not wearing one – or wearing one, but incorrectly – will be stopped and warned, but fines will not apply.
However, once the rule has been in place for long enough that everyone should be aware of it, failure to comply will normally mean a fine.
Fines will now apply in Asturias, the Canary Islands, and the provinces of Granada and Sevilla from this weekend after a stay of grace.
Police in Spain say the aim of the exercise is to ensure everyone is wearing masks, not just to fine people 'for the sake of it' – so mere absent-mindedness may not necessarily involve shelling out €100, and could simply involve a reminder.
But just in case, it is not worth trying to 'bend the rules' or 'push the boundaries'.
Besides which, catching Covid-19 or infecting someone else with it is far worse than being fined, and mask-wearing, hand-washing and social distancing have been shown to be the only way to prevent the condition spreading without having to force everyone back into total lockdown again.
Anyone who is in doubt about what the rules are for wearing masks where they live or are on holiday should simply act as though they were mandatory in every situation.
