Spain has issued an important update to its Covid mask rules as the virus spreads and cases increase. In the holiday hotspots people are being asked to wear their masks inside public places.
Health chiefs in the Costa del Sol, Málaga, and Seville have spoken out as new strains including the highly contagious 'Kraken' virus hits Europe. However, wearing masks is not yet compulsory for holidaymakers, the Daily Star reports.
There are fears that Spain, which had one of the strictest anti-Covid crackdowns on the continent, could again insist on vaccine status before allowing people entry. At a meeting yesterday (Jan 18) they urged everyone – locals and tourists alike – to make sure they are vigilant at all times in the face of new strains.
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Spain also does not allow unvaccinated travellers from China to enter the country. For now, Brits who have not had a vaccination are able to holiday in Spain as the gov.uk site states: “Spain does not require any proof of vaccination, a negative test result, or a COVID-19 recovery certificate to enter the country, regardless of your vaccination status.”
Spanish health chiefs decided to reimpose some regulations which had been lifted last year, but only in relation to nursing homes. It’s important to remember that Spain holds a series of local governments who can change Covid rules at any time – so always check the local requirements before booking or flying.
Advice is that people should take masks to Spain just in case the situation changes quickly - Spain is notorious for making new rules fast. The Foreign Office advice currently is: "Before you travel, check the ‘Entry requirements’ section for Spain’s current entry restrictions and requirements.
"These may change with little warning. Monitor this advice for the latest updates and stay in contact with your travel provider. If you are planning to travel to Spain through France, check the latest FCDO travel advice for France ahead of your journey as the situation may change at short notice."
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