Date Published: 02/12/2020
ARCHIVED - Murcian government plans to lift perimeter restrictions and re-open interior of bars
ARCHIVED ARTICLE
The regional president said this could be on the cards next week
We’re all fed-up to the back teeth with the coronavirus restrictions which have dominated our lives since the early part of 2020, but although the incidence of the virus has come down sharply in the region since mobility restrictions were re-imposed, there are still thousands of active cases and it will be several months before any sort of normality can be contemplated.
This virus is so widespread and there are so many active cases worldwide that containing the virus and eradicating it is a major international task, so we are not alone, everybody else is also having to make sacrifices to prevent potentially millions of deaths if the virus were just “let loose”.
As a human being, rather than somebody who spends their week researching and writing news, I personally felt extreme sadness watching UK TV last night to see that major retail chains including Debenhams, Top Shop, Jaeger, Edinburgh Woolen Mill and several others are now being forced to close down and as much as it hurts to see small bars and independent businesses closing for good here, the tragedy is in the major job losses of these huge retail chains, the airlines, the travel sector, transport and the suppliers all the way down the chain. It’s world-changing and devastating.
So I understand the frustrations that we’re all being inconvenienced by covid and the sadness that this time of year is being so badly affected by the restrictions, although am also equally grateful that this first worldwide pandemic is not a more lethal virus for the majority.
It’s sad today to see that more flights have been cancelled by Ryanair, affecting yet more travel plans and that even though the Spanish Government has confirmed its intentions for the festive season, we still can’t say for certain what is happening here in the region.
Today the regional president, Fernando López Miras, fulfilled his commitment to the regional parliament by addressing the assembly to inform them of the current situation regarding the coronavirus situation here in the region.
Miras said that "in the last month the incidence in the Region of Murcia has fallen by 75%", being the region "that has reduced its infection rate the most and more quickly". In addition, he pointed out that the positivity rate "has also fallen considerably", falling below the levels recommended by the WHO, at 4.84%. "The data sends us a message of hope and we are succeeding," Miras said.
He then went on to reveal that: "If the positive evolution continues, next week the perimeter closure in the Region of Murcia may be lifted", and if infections continue to decrease, "from the 9th we will be able to open the interior of the hospitality establishments in the region".
Up to now, hostelry establishments are only permitted to open their external terraces, which was acceptable when the weather was warmer, but this weekend temperatures are set to plummet, so those requesting a cold beer may find it colder outside of the glass than in it.
Pressure has been building on the regional government to remove the travel ban between municipalities and it’s certainly becoming increasingly obvious that the majority of people who ignore it and do cross municipal boundaries are getting away with it as the region simply doesn´t have enough police to enforce it.
This weekend everything stops for the festive days of La Concepción and the Virgin de la Purísima, so both Monday and Tuesday will be Bank Holidays; after this it’s hoped that the regional president will do what he’s indicated today and remove the internal border ban so we can spend some money in the beleagured retail sector instead of having to do all our shopping online and open up the interiors of the restaurants before they all go to the wall.