Government considers ban on outdoor smoking where distances cannot be guaranteed

The Catalan government is studying the possibility of introducing a ban on smoking on the street and on the terraces as long as a physical safety distance cannot be maintained between people. 

The measure, which is already being applied in Galicia and the Canary Islands, would aim to avoid further risks when it comes to transmitting Covid-19 in situations where face masks do not have to be worn. 

The secretary of public health, Josep Maria Argimon, explains that the department of health and the Civil Protection body have yet to decide on this issue, but the measure is on the table. 

“We’re studying it,” Argimon said, who is "personally" in favor of the ban but clarifies that in "mature societies" sometimes "it is better to persuade than to impose."