Spain Covid rules as face masks urged in tourist hotspot amid spread of new strains

dailyrecord.co.uk:

People in one travel hotspot of Spain are being asked to wear face masks to help reduce the spread of new Covid-19 variants.In a meeting held on January 17, Juanma Moreno, the president of Andalusia, urged people to consider wearing face masks when they are in crowded indoor areas.

Andalusia, which includes tourist hotspots like Malaga and Seville, is not making face masks mandatory despite the president's advice, reports The Mirror.This comes after the Spanish health minister Carolina Darias reintroduced certain entry requirements from travellers flying in from China at the end of December 2022.Those arriving to Spain from the country will need to have either a negative Covid test or proof of vaccination.Ms Darias said: "There exists a shared concern internationally and nationally over the evolution of cases in China and the difficulty to make a correct evaluation of the Covid-19 situation given the scant information that we have available."Officials are concerned about new variants such as the 'Orthrus' and 'Kraken' which are expected to take over as dominant strains in the UK.Spain no longer has any Covid entry restrictions except for those travelling from China, but there are some things that are worth keeping in mind.For example, your passport needs to have been issued in the past 10 years at the time of entry, and it must be valid for at least three months on the date that you leave Spain.As there is no longer free movement following Brexit, you should make sure you get your passport stamped when you enter or exit the countryDon't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - sign up to our daily newsletter here .