Brits in Barcelona will now have to wear a mask in public at ALL times
BRITS will have to wear face masks in Barcelona at all times, including at swimming pools and on the beach.
The president of the Generalitat, Quim Torra, has announced that the mask is mandatory across Catalonia from tomorrow, even if maintaining a distance of 1.5m.
This replaces the current rule making them mandatory in open public spaces only when social distancing cannot be guaranteed.
It also means tourists will have to wear face masks on the beach or when they sunbathe by their hotel pool and will only be allowed to remove them when they go for a dip or swim in the water.
A spokesman for the Generalitat, Catalonia’s regional government, said any change in the rules on face masks would be the result of the “relaxation” some people appeared to have adopted following the end of Spain’s state of emergency last month.
Two regions have already been locked down in recent days - one affecting 70,000 people kicked in at midnight on Sunday in La Marina, north of Lugo in Galicia, which includes popular holiday destinations like Ribadeo, while the other, ordered after a new Covid-19 outbreak, is in the Segria region of Lleida province in Catalonia.
Meritxell Budo said: “We will have to live with coronavirus for the next few months. That’s a reality.
“The virus is still here and will continue to spread. While we don’t have a vaccine we will have to put in place other types of barriers.”
Speaking to local press she added: “We think that by making face masks mandatory, we will guarantee that they are used as they should be.”
Brits holidaying in Benidorm were warned last month that they will also have to face masks when they stroll along the shoreline, or face fines of €100 (£90).
Benidorm mayor Toni Perez said the resort would be enforcing government legislation making the masks obligatory in public spaces where social distancing cannot be guaranteed - which is likely to be in place until there is a vaccine.
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