From tomorrow, Thursday 21 May,  2020, the use of masks will be mandatory on public roads, in outdoor spaces and enclosed space, for adults and children over six years, when interpersonal distance of two meters can’t be guaranteed, although with some exceptions.

Is the use of masks mandatory on the street?

Yes, today, on March 20, 2o20, a ministerial order has been published in Spanish BOE, that comes into force tomorrow, with which the use of masks in public spaces, both outdoor and closed spaces, is required when it is not possible to keep an interpersonal minimum distance of two (2) meters. But children under the age of six (6) are excluded from the use of masks, although it is recommended for children aged between three (3) and five (5).

Therefore, the Government establishes mandatory use on the street, in open-air spaces and in closed spaces -for public use or that are open to the public- in which an interpersonal distance of at least two (2) meters cannot be maintained.

This Order adds to the previous one that requires the use of masks on public transport.

Any type of mask is valid?

Yes, any type of mask is valid.

In this way, the Government estimates that, because we are at an “initial stage” of the disease, it is the Executive Power that must take this type of measures to guarantee the favorable evolution in the face of this pandemic. Likewise, the Government values ​​that since there is a high transmissibility of Covid-19, and given the problem of contagion through asymptomatic patients, it is necessary to take measures that regulate the conditions for the mandatory use of masks during the health crisis.

And, it is that, the generalized use of masks by the general population will reduce community transmission of the Coronavirus, after verifying the effectiveness of masks to block the emission of infected drops, being this the main route of infection when security distance cannot be maintained. The Government highlights the importance of the use of these masks, since there is still no vaccine for the disease.

The Government establishes the use of any type of mask in public and closed spaces where the interpersonal distance of two meters cannot be guaranteed.

Are there exceptions to the use of masks?

Yes, the Order also establishes some exceptions in the mandatory use of masks, in certain specific cases.

Therefore, the use of masks will not be mandatory:

• when carrying out activities that are incompatible: food and drink intake, for example,
• circumstances in which there is force majeure or situation of need
• in those people who present some type of respiratory difficulty that can be aggravated by the use of masks,
• in those people who the use of masks is contraindicated for health or disability reasons, for example, because they suffer from:
  • chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
  • people with duly justified health reasons;
    • with some type of respiratory distress that may be aggravated by the use of a mask
    • with a situation of disability or dependency, that present behavioral alterations that prevent the use of a mask

The Government takes these measures in response to a health crisis in which it is impossible to 100% isolate infected people inside their homes, due to the fact that they are asymptomatic patients. In short, “use is mandatory in public spaces when safety distances of tow enters cannot be maintained, and at specific times“.