Date Published: 23/07/2020
ARCHIVED - 101.50 Euros for a coffee in Zaragoza
ARCHIVED ARTICLE
Covid can make a cup of coffee very pricey indeed in some parts of Spain!
The whole topic of wearing masks in public has been controversial and confrontational to say the least across Spain, particularly relating to the wearing of masks in bars and cafés.
Certainly down here in Murcia clients in bars have been complaining bitterly about the ambiguity in the legislation relating to the use of masks, unsure whether the phrase that masks do not have to be worn when “eating and drinking” applies to the actual act of raising a glass to their mouth or whether having a glass sitting on a table in front of them is considered to be sufficient to avoid a fine should a member of the forces of law and order walk into the bar.
In some areas the Guardia Civíl are reportedly walking into bars and warning the public to put on their masks when not actively eating or drinking, whereas in one local area the Policia Local affirmed via an email query that “the use of a mask is not obligatory during the consumption of food and drink” which is being interpreted by locals as meaning it is OK not to wear a mask when seated and with a drink.
But this isn´t just an issue in Murcia as this article from a Zaragoza publication, the Zaragoza Herald, shows:
“Since the “flexible phase 2” came into force on July 15th in Zaragoza, 630 complaints have been processed for not wearing masks and up to 16 public establishments and nine bars have been fined. This has caused a lot of anger in some clients who have been fined by the Local Police for not wearing a mask while having coffee, or when taking an aperitif.
On Wednesday, users who were without a mask and enjoying a coffee in an open-air terrace ended up paying 101.50 euros "for a coffee," according to DStyleZgz and re-published by the Zaragoza Herald.
Three clients reported to the paper that they were drinking their coffee when police agents walked into the establishment "They came over to us, took our personal data, and fined us," one of them said “101.50 for a cup of coffee!”.
Other clients fined are equally unimpressed, as are bar owners facing fines for their clients not complying “bars will close”they warned.”
It appears that the application of the legislation very much depends on the enthusiasm of the agents in a given area, and the severity of the outbreaks as well, but if in doubt, keep the mask on and lower it to take a sip of a drink when necessary; after all, it's a lot of money to pay for a coffee!