Face masks obligatory in public spaces from Thursday

Order in place for any outdoor or enclosed spaces where safety distances cannot be kept between people

A Spanish government worker managed boxes of face masks before they were sent to regions (image by Moncloa)
A Spanish government worker managed boxes of face masks before they were sent to regions (image by Moncloa) / ACN

ACN | Barcelona

May 20, 2020 04:44 PM

Face masks will be obligatory in public for all people aged six and above starting on Thursday. 

The Spanish government published the order in its official gazette that specifies that masks must be worn in outdoor areas and in any enclosed space, “provided that it is not possible to maintain an interpersonal safety distance of at least two meters.”

The order is mandatory for everybody from the age of six and older, and the use of face masks is recommended for children between the ages of three and five. 

Activities "by their very nature" makes their use incompatible are excluded from this order, such as sport. The order will be in effect for the duration of the state of alarm and its extensions.

People with any type of respiratory issue that may be aggravated by their use will not be required to wear a mask, nor will anybody who for disability or dependency reasons cannot wear one.