Brits visiting the Canary Islands, including Tenerife and Lanzarote, will now have to wear masks on the beach as the regional government reinforces coronavirus safety regulations.
Tourists are also being warned to wear them when around swimming pools as part of the new compulsory order which makes the wearing of face masks compulsory in all public places.
This comes as Mallorca and Ibiza’s government has slapped a ban on pool parties and party boats are also prohibited no matter where they are berthed in any part of the islands.
The Canaries had been one of the few places in Spain not to enforce the regulation but this changed yesterday when a new raft of rules was introduced to try and curb new outbreaks of coronavirus on the islands.
Brits visiting the Canary Islands, including Tenerife and Lanzarote, will now have to wear masks on the beach as the regional government reinforces coronavirus safety regulations
Masks have to be worn when accessing or walking along the beaches and the coasts but not if sitting still in one spot or when in the water.
The Balearic Government has been taking tough action to control nightlife and leisure activities following evidence of a strong link with coronavirus outbreaks.
There is also a new ban on the sale of alcohol in any form of transport linked to tourism.
The measures are part of a new package of restrictions that aim to avoid large crowds of people on board these boats or in premises that have a swimming pool.
The new rules apply to Mallorca and Ibiza, as well as Menorca and Formentera.
The archipelago added more than 100 coronavirus infections on Friday for the second consecutive day.
This is the highest number of positives since the peak of the epidemic curve was reached in the last week of March but the difference is that around 800 coronavirus tests are being carried out daily.
It is now mandatory for everyone over six years to wear a mask, on public roads, in outdoor spaces and in any closed place, or that is open to the public, regardless of the maintenance of the interpersonal safety distance of 1.5 meters.
In the hotel and catering establishments and services, including bars and cafeterias, masks have to be worn except when physically eating or drinking.
Pubs and restaurants have to abide by a new closing time of 1am with no new customers accepted after midnight and have to reduced capacity.
Nightclubs and cocktail bars have been closed and smoking is banned in public places where social distancing of two metres cannot be maintained.
Anyone caught breaching the rules stands to be fined between 25 euros and 600,000 euros depending on the seriousness of the situation.
Premises can be closed for up to three years and if any tourist venue is involved, the owner can be banned from renting it out for holidays, also for up to three years.
‘The owners of the establishments, spaces and premises must guarantee compliance,’ said a government spokesman.
The Canary government is also warning that masks must be worn in the proper way.
The Canaries was one of the few places in Spain not to enforce the regulation but new rules have been introduced to try and curb new outbreaks of coronavirus on the islands
They must cover the nose and mouth completely at all times and go under the chin to make sure no droplets are released into the air.
This comes as Health minister Blas Trujillo has issued an urgent plea to all 88 councils in the eight islands, which include Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.
He said the Canaries had done very well to keep coronavirus cases and deaths low during the first wave of the pandemic from March to June but now had to contain new outbreaks.
The Canary Islands currenty have 28 active coronavirus outbreaks affecting 268 people, 16 of them in Gran Canaria, eight in Tenerife and four in Lanzarote, as reported by the Ministry of Health.
The outbreak with the most positive cases, with a total of 60, is in Gran Canaria and relates to nightlife.
No further details have yet been released about the Gran Canaria case with 60 positives linked to nightlife but Mr. Trujillo said such incidents involved a lot of time and energy by tracking teams which were already under pressure.
Of the 28 outbreaks, five correspond to 41 migrants who arrived in different boats in recent weeks.
The Canary Islands Government services have traced the close contacts of the 268 people included in these outbreaks, thus reaching another 745 people.
Other new rules include a ban on contact sports for the next 15 days when the decision will be re-evaluated.
Sports competitions that were scheduled to start on September 1st will be delayed, in principle, until October 1st.
Visits to nursing homes will be subject to new controls and the capacity of churches and other places of worship cut to 50 per cent.
All establishments will be obliged to display their opening and closing hours, capacity, obligation to maintain safety distances and the use of a mask.