The nationwide mandate by Spain’s central government is due to come into force on 10 January – despite opposition from some regional health authorities.
Spain’s minister of health, Monica Garcia, said the move was necessary to protect healthcare professionals.
“We are talking about putting on a mask when you enter a health centre and taking it off when you leave,” Ms Garcia told Spain’s Cadena Ser radio.
“I don’t think it is any drama. It is a basic and simple measure of the first order,” she added.
It comes after six areas, including Valencia, Catalonia, Murcia, and the Canary Islands, introduced regional mask-wearing mandates.
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Spain’s central government proposed on Monday extending that requirement nationwide but received pushback from other regions – many of whom argued that mask use should be recommended but not obligatory.