Masks might be required by law in Hospitals and health centers next week

[ivar]

This has not yet been approved, but it looks like it might be approved on Monday:

Sanidad propondrá a las comunidades la obligatoriedad de la mascarilla en espacios sociosanitarios en su reunión del lunes

Los consejeros autonómicos de Sanidad se reunirán el día 8 de enero para evaluar la ola de virus respiratorios que congestiona toda España. El Ministerio de Sanidad quiere "unificar criterios" ante el pico de gripe A, COVID y otros virus | Cadena SER

cadenaser.com

By the way, even if this is not approved, I would recommend people in Spain now (January 2024) to have a mask with them (you can get them at any pharmacy). Nothing dramatic, just an increase in people with various respiratory infections after the Christmas and New Year holidays. (See link above for more details).

As a sidenote, I was in Gadis (supermarket) in Santiago just before New Year's. It was packed, people coughed and sneezed... I put my mask on, got the 4 or 5 things I needed and exited.

 

[JabbaPapa]

If it's just the espacios sociosanitarios, as the article suggests then it'll just be pharmacies, doctors' surgeries, clinics, hospitals and whatnot.

It might affect some pilgrims, but I found last time that most places that insisted on it would provide you with a mask if you didn't have it. And some would trade with you through a window into the street instead of at the indoor counter.

I wouldn't worry about it too much -- in practical terms last time, there were just one or two pilgrim places where to sleep in retirement homes that were closed to pilgrims for such reasons.

An Albergue is not an espacio sociosanitario.

 

[MickMac]

While coming back from Muxia in September the bus turned into a normal commuter bus on the outskirts Santiago with lots of people going to work.
The amount of people coughing and sneezing was uncomfortable.
If I had a mask I would have used.

 

[JabbaPapa]

The amount of people coughing and sneezing was uncomfortable.

There's both a seasonal flu and a very infectious cold going round. In Mediterranean Europe anyway. I've had both ...

The cold is pretty annoying and needs much tissue paper, but it only lasts a few days.

Dunno about covid this go, as my autoimmune syndrome was triggered by something completely different this time ... but the 2023-2024 flu is a bit more aggressive than most.

 

[Saint Mike II]

Hola - I think the use of masks in any enclosed place, especially if it is more busy than you are use to. COVID still has not gone away!! Thanks Ivar for this post.

 

[Damien Reynolds]

Good to know. Thank you.

 

[WalkingInGers]

I was in PARIS last week and drove home. Metro and RER..people were coughing and guess what? Returned home and the kleenex companies are making a fortune just with me. Inhalations and tiger balm will certainly turn that around. In TOULOUSE yesterday, the people coughing and sneezing in the waiting room of the spital was amazing. No masks yet here.

 

[BRSmith13]

We were in the UK in September and both came back with Covid.
I am in the US and discussed our upcoming Camino Portuguese in late April. For folks 65+ the Covid vaccine is really only effective for several months. She suggested getting vaccinated a month before we travel. I also asked for a
Prophylactic meds for Covid to bring with us. She is happy to prescribe it.
I have had Covid twice - took 3 weeks to recover both times. Had parainfluenza A after getting a flu shot. So WILL have a good mask and we are staying in private rooms. Buen Camino!

 

[Bradypus]

A friend has just posted this screenshot from The Local website on a Camino Facebook group. Looks like the return of mandatory masks in healthcare settings has been confirmed.

 

[JabbaPapa]

Looking at the Spanish Press, whether it's required in Pharmacies or not may be variable regionally.

 

[peregrina2000]

I agree with those who say that there’s nothing to lose by putting on a mask in crowded situations or on trains, planes, etc. So many respiratory illnesses going around and so little inconvenience.

Since 2021, I have added a small pack of KN95 masks to my camino packing list. Weighs so little and can come in very handy.

 

[David Tallan]

I agree with those who say that there’s nothing to lose by putting on a mask in crowded situations or on trains, planes, etc. So many respiratory illnesses going around and so little inconvenience.

Since 2021, I have added a small pack of KN95 masks to my camino packing list. Weighs so little and can come in very handy.

I've been carrying a few KN95 masks, too. But I can't resist also carrying a Camino-themed cloth mask to put overtop the KN95 when on Camino.

 

[rainswift]

Is a reusable cloth mask acceptable, or must they be medical masks? If medical masks only, must they be N95s?

 

[ivar]

Is a reusable cloth mask acceptable, or must they be medical masks? If medical masks only, must they be N95s?

Any type of mask (except home made mask I think) is fine.

 

[rainswift]

Any type of mask (except home made mask I think) is fine.

Haha, my cloth masks are home made ... I'll just bring my cute cloth mask and if they ask me to put on a medical one I will.

 

[WalkingInGers]

I returned from walking the Camino Frances tired. I was obliged to go abroad a few days later, and met about 40 people in a conference. I am currently battling COVID. My GP told me that on Monday, she had met 6 people with COVID symptoms. The usual symptoms...so be careful and wear a bloody mask when you are with many people.

 

[Tincatinker]

My sympathies @WalkingInGers. Nasty little bug. Still killing but yesterday’s news.

I guess people confuse Pandemic, everyone will catch it except me - with Endemic every one might catch it except me.

I still get told to remove my mask, glasses, false moustache and wig every time I go through Border Control but I do hold up a sign that says “please don’t cough at me”…

 

[Anniesantiago]

All I know is I got sick in Puente la Reina on May 3 and I am STILL coughing up my lungs!
I've met several people with the same complaint.
Whatever this is, it hangs on forever. . .

 

[Berylann]

I returned from walking the Camino Frances tired. I was obliged to go abroad a few days later, and met about 40 people in a conference. I am currently battling COVID. My GP told me that on Monday, she had met 6 people with COVID symptoms. The usual symptoms...so be careful and wear a bloody mask when you are with many people.

We walked (outdoors always) with a lady who had just had Covid and as we understand it, after a couple of days rest picked up the trail again. Her husband whom we met over breakfast that morning was newly live COVID, so planned to taxi. We met again two days before leaving and had a drink together. It’s hard to avoid close contact and not everyone shares the same caution. We returned on a flight full of expressive teenage schoolchildren and many other passengers, so who knows where infection was most likely. We ate in busy places. Two days later, my husband came down with COVID and despite best precautions, now I have it and may have shared it (I tested rigorously negative, until recently but attended a show the day before my first positive). It’s highly infectious and unless people are testing and laying low for the duration of their illness which is nigh impossible for pilgrims, it’s going to spread among us. Two years ago we caught it flying home. Symptom wise, I have a nasty cold but my husband who is seventy one was really unwell. We are vaccinated but not everyone regards Covid so carefully as we do. I don’t know what we would have done had we had symptoms on the trail as we would have wanted to avoid infecting others, whether or not that is manageable.

 

[JabbaPapa]

I'm convinced that there are a bunch of common cold/covid recombinant coronaviruses going round in Europe ; where I live anyway many people spent about six months getting constant coughs and sniffles - - plus this past winter seasonal flu was a worse one than usual. So perhaps visitors from outside of Europe could take what precautions they might deem necessary if nothing of the sort has taken place where they live.

Having said that, I am somewhat unsure what relevance may be in these considerations to the topic of a potential for putative mandatory mask wearing in Spanish hospitals about six months ago.