MADRID, January 9 — The wearing of masks will become compulsory again in Spanish hospitals and other health facilities from tomorrow, the Ministry of Health announced yesterday, as the country faces an influenza epidemic.
The decree was announced after a meeting between the Ministry of Health and representatives of the regions that manage their health systems.
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Spain, which was hit hard by the first wave of coronavirus infections in 2020, has been considering the move for several days, but a final decision has been put on hold due to regional differences.
“Since the pandemic, we have learned,” Spain’s Health Minister Monica García said after the meeting.
“We have been thinking seriously about the issue of masks, first and foremost to protect health centers and hospitals, but also to protect patients as well as (medical) professionals.”
He added that wearing masks is “an effective, common sense measure, supported by scientific evidence and welcomed by the general public.”
Garcia had already expressed support for reinstating mask-wearing requirements in medical facilities in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday.
The eastern regions of Valencia and Catalonia also announced on Friday that they would require masks for health workers and patients.
Doctors in Spain have warned in recent days of a rise in the number of people infected with influenza, as well as the new coronavirus and other respiratory viruses.
Mask mandates were well respected in Spain, which had one of the world’s strictest lockdowns during the pandemic.
Masks will be mandatory until July 2023 in places likely to receive at-risk people, such as hospitals, nursing homes and pharmacies.
The ministry said the new mandate does not apply to pharmacies. —AFP