Face masks will be mandatory in hospitals and healthcare centres in Spain from Wednesday after a surge in respiratory illnesses, the Health Ministry said.
The new left-wing minority coalition government is pushing the measure despite opposition from the top of Spain’s 17 autonomous communities.
“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’s a drama. It is a basic and undeniable measure of the first order,” he added.
Spanish hospitals have faced immense pressure in recent weeks following a surge in cases of flu, Covid-19 and other respiratory illnesses.
Garcia’s ministry imposed the measure after failing to reach an agreement with regional health authorities, many of whom argued that wearing a mask deserves to be advised but is not mandatory.
Regional governments are to blame for health care, the central government can interfere if it deems it necessary.
Six regions have already adopted this measure and in recent months masks have been used on the streets, on public transport and in fitness centres.
Spain officially declared the end of the fitness crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic last July, saying that wearing a mask is no longer mandatory in fitness centers, care centers and pharmacies.
Over the past two years, Spain had phased out the use of masks, first on public transport and then on public transport.
The country registered more than 14 million cases and some 120,000 deaths from the coronavirus.
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