Barcelona beachgoers will no longer have to contend with cigarette butts or passive smoke starting in July when Spain's second largest city will ban smoking on all its beaches, the city hall said on Friday.
The decision comes after a pilot project las year saw smoking banned on four of the city's 10 local beaches.
"Beaches with no smoking allowed will offer healthier communal living areas, with less waste and will respect the defence of environment," the statement said.
Several Spanish regions imposed bans in 2020 to clamp down on the spread of Covid-19, while others like the Balearic Islands, including Mallorca, had already adopted the measure before the pandemic for environmental reasons.
The Canary Islands, Andalusia, Galicia and Valencia have followed suit with partial or total bans of smoking on their beaches.
The news comes as Spain announced it will lift a requirement to wear face masks indoors except on public transport and in hospitals and retirement homes from April 20th, Health Minister Carolina Darias said on Wednesday.
Since the Omicron variant of the coronavirus drove up infections to record highs in January the caseload has receded sharply and Covid patients now account for just 3.5 per cent of hospital occupation.
She said advisers have recommended lifting the obligation after the Easter long weekend.
Spain stopped mandatory outdoor mask use in early February, but a significant number of Spaniards still choose to wear one in crowded areas. "A recommendation to wear masks responsibly will be issued when there are gatherings of people," she said.
On Tuesday, Spain's two week Covid-19 infection rate among over 60-year olds - the only age group for which the government publishes data - stood at 426 cases per 100,000 people, roughly the same as a month earlier.
