British expats residing in Spain are facing new challenges as health authorities in Andalucia extend the mandatory use of face masks in all health centres, despite a significant drop in flu and COVID-19 cases.

The stringent enforcement of these rules has prompted local police to conduct inspections, raising concerns among both residents and visitors.

A resident in Marbella claims they were turned away from a family doctor appointment for not wearing a mask.

The individual shared the experience, telling the Olive Press: “He told me to go away and come back with a mask. I said I would run down and grab one but he said he would have to see me over an hour later. He warned me that ‘it is still a rule’ in the whole region and that local police had been ‘doing inspections’ to find people breaking the rule and that he or I could be fined.”

The penalties for non-compliance with the face mask mandate are not explicitly stated in the report. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities have been vigilant in enforcing such measures to curb the spread of the virus and protect public health.