No mask? – Bare-faced people in public to be fined up to 350 euros

The Government is creating a sanctioning regime for those who do not comply with the obligation to wear masks in public transport (their use is also mandatory in commercial spaces and public services providers). The new rules will go into effect on Monday, May 4. Questioned by the Observador newspaper, a government source says that “the creation of a sanctioning regime is foreseen, with administrative offenses” for those who do not use a mask in public transport, where the permitted capacity will still be two thirds of the usual people permitted to allow for adherence to social distancing measures.

The fines to be applied to those who do not comply with this rule will be between 120 and 350 euros. At this afternoon’s press conference, the Prime Minister said that wearing masks will be “mandatory in public transport, in commerce, in schools and in closed places where there are high numbers of people.” Note that this requirement in schools does not extend to students in day-care centres and kindergartens, only to students of the 11th and 12th years, who are going to have face-to-face classes. However, in educational establishments, it will be the Government that will distribute this personal protective equipment.

In public services related locations, according to what was defined by the Government this Thursday, the use of a mask will be mandatory in “deconcentrated counters of public attendance (tax offices, conservatories, etc.)”.

It will also be mandatory to use it in the small local high-street stores that will open on Monday (hairdressers, manicures and similar included). But in these spaces, fines will not be imposed on offenders, the same source confirmed.

The Prime Minister guaranteed this afternoon that during this weekend it will be possible to access “masks for community use in abundance, easily accessible in supermarkets” and that this was one of the criteria for the reopening of the activity already starting in May.