The government wants to revise the new rules so that face coverings do not need to be worn while bathing, playing sport or resting in a fixed spot if a safe distance can be maintained
A crowd of people wearing face masks in Sitges in Barcelona
Spain’s central Health Ministry is to propose that face masks not be obligatory at all times while on the beach, provided that citizens are bathing, playing sport or resting in a fixed spot, and that a safe distance of 1.5 meters can be maintained from other people. While this suggestion – which will be conveyed to the country’s regional governments – does not specifically mention it, this would mean no face coverings while sunbathing.
The new proposal comes after national legislation was published in the Official State Bulletin (BOE) last week making masks obligatory even when people are alone in open spaces, something that was widely rejected by a number of regional governments. The new draft plan will be discussed this afternoon at a meeting of the Inter-Territorial Council of the National Health System (CISNS), which brings together the central Health Ministry and the regional healthcare chiefs in order to tackle the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
