ARCHIVED - Mazarrón Chinese restaurant faces big fine as expat ladies lunch

The restaurant will receive a significant fine for breaching covid hygiene regulations

Mazarrón police have been clamping down on those breaching covid regulations, due to the rapidly rising cases in the municipality once again, responding to the many calls and messages being received from residents of the municipality reporting those who are not complying with restrictions designed to stop the spread of covid-19.

So when they received a tip-off that a large group of people were gathered in a popular Chinese restaurant on the outskirts of the Puerto de Mazarrón, they went to investigate.

An eye-witness who had just arrived at the restaurant reported that the restaurant seemed busy, too busy for his own personal comfort, and he decided to go elsewhere, but as he walked out of the door the police pulled up and a “table of 8 outside very rapidly did a bit of shuffling and became a table of six and a table of two”.

The police, however, went straight into the restaurant, surprising a large group of expat ladies enjoying a lunch together in honour of a departing friend, in clear breach of the regulations prohibiting gatherings of more than 6 people, and establishing a minimum distance between those seated.

The restaurant was also breaching regulations regarding the use of plastic menus and the use of condiments, as well as other hygiene breaches.

Mazarrón has experienced a significant surge in cases in the last week, and currently has 117 cases active.Yesterday 26 cases were reported and today Mayor Gaspar Miras held a press conference saying : "I ask for prudence and good sense, now is not the time for celebrations or gatherings”

So “I request that all security measures be complied with. The next few weeks are crucial, they are critical, and we cannot let the situation get worse, we have to take all possible measures, so it is extremely necessary that we all do our part and comply with the law.”

Yesterday the Murcia Region reported a record number of covid cases and today reported only fractionally less. The current number of active cases in the region is 5,669.

Today Spain reported its biggest increase ever; 12,183 new cases in 24 hours.

Mazarrón, along with other municipalities, is desperate to avoid being confined in the same way that Totana was and is currently being applied to Jumilla and Archivel in Caravaca de la Cruz, so the Mayor was keen to stress how damaging it is for businesses when a municipality is forced to confine, something he is determined to avoid in Mazarrón.

Today over 800 restauranteurs protested in Murcia city, protesting that their businesses are being decimated by covid and that they are being blamed for creating the perfect environment in which covid can spread, something they deny is the case.

This restaurant will now receive a stiff fine for breaching the regulations, which could run to several thousand euros.

And for anyone in the expat community who still isn´t sure about the current restrictions; the maximum group size permitted for a public or private gathering is 6.