masks spain 1
People wearing face masks as a precaution wait for a doctor appointment inside a hospital in Barcelona on January 8
Spain is bringing back face masks in hospitals and healthcare centres from today after a surge in Covid-19 and flu cases in the country, the Health Ministry said.

The new leftist minority coalition government is imposing the measure despite opposition from most of Spain's 17 autonomous regions.

'We are talking about putting on a mask when you enter a health centre and taking it off when you leave,' Health Minister Monica Garcia told Cadena Ser radio.

'I don't think it is any drama. It is a basic and simple measure of the first order,' she added.

Spain's hospitals have come under immense pressure in recent weeks following a spike in cases of flu, Covid-19 and other respiratory illnesses.

masks spain 2
People wearing protective masks walk outside the Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital in Badalona, Spain, January 8
Ms Garcia's ministry decided to impose the measure after failing to reach an agreement with regional health authorities, many of whom argued that mask use should be recommended but not obligatory.

Regional governments are in charge of healthcare although the central government can intervene if it deems it necessary.

Six regions have already introduced the measure and masks have been commonly used on streets and public transport and in health centres in recent months.

Among them is the Canary Islands, which sees hundreds of thousands of British holidaymakers visit every year.

On Tuesday it became obligatory to use masks in health centres, chemists and hospitals throughout the Canaries which include Tenerife, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria.

The Canary government says the rule will remain in force while the epidemic peak lasts.

Valencia's health department also implemented the mandatory use of masks in health centres on Friday.

masks spain 3
A man wearing a protective face mask walks past a sign recommending its use in case of symptoms of a respiratory infection, at Gregorio Maranon hospital in Madrid on January 10
The preventive measure was considered necessary due to the high incidence rate of 1,501 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

Meanwhile, authorities in the Balearic Islands, which include Mallorca and Ibiza, slammed the new rule, saying infection numbers are the same as last year and it is 'totally unnecessary' to impose the wearing of masks.


Comment: There are also provably useless in controlling spread.


Spain declared a formal end to the health crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic last July, saying people no longer needed to wear masks in health and care centres and pharmacies.

Over the previous two years, Spain had gradually ended mandatory mask wearing, first in public and then on public transport.

The country registered more than 14 million cases and some 120,000 deaths from the coronavirus.