Linea Directa 200 LEFT COL CAR INSURANCE

PROPERTY SEARCH

DomusVi Ciudad de Murcia residential cross content 1200

Date Published: 14/08/2020

ARCHIVED - Spain closes nocturnal leisure venues, imposes smoking ban and bans botellon drinking sessions

ARCHIVED ARTICLE

Measures have been agreed by all regional governments and the national government to control the spread of Covid

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - Spain closes nocturnal leisure venues, imposes smoking ban and bans botellon drinking sessions

A historic agreement was reached this morning between the national and regional governments, agreeing unanimously to impose a raft of measures in response to the rapid growth in the number of covid cases nationwide. (see Thursday figures)

According to the latest data published by the Ministry of Health yesterday relating to the coronavirus outbreaks in Spain, there are currently 837 active outbreaks, with more than 9,200 infected people.

Aragon, Catalonia and Madrid are some of the Autonomous Communities worst affected and which most concern the Ministry of Health.

Although measures are being announced daily by the regional governments to try and limit the spread of the virus, there is no doubt that the levels currently being recorded are worrying and this morning the Minister of Health, Salvador Illa, chaired an extraordinary meeting of the Interterritorial Council, to discuss the evolution of the pandemic and measures being taken to combat it.

During the meeting, the regional governments of all regions agreed to adopt new measures based on the data gathered about the way in which the pandemic is spreading, the common problems in tackling the pandemic being experienced by each of the regional governments and the common desire of all to bring the outbreaks back under control without the imposition of more widespread measures across the country; all keen to avoid any form of large-scale lockdown.

"Today for the first time we have adopted coordinated public health responses, for the benefit of all the Autonomous Communities, which have been adopted unanimously," Illa explained.

There are 11 measures in total, which include 3 recommendations and 1 indication of compliance:

- Nightlife: discotheques, dance halls and cocktail bars, with or without live performances, will be temporarily closed down, throughout the territory of Spain.

- Hotels and restaurants: the need to guarantee a distance between people and tables and groups of at least 1.5 meters must be respected. A limitation is imposed of a maximum of 10 people in any group. All restaurants and hostelry venues must close by 1 in the morning, and are not permitted to accept new customers after 12pm.

- Social health centers or residences for the elderly: It is now mandatory to carry out PCR swab tests on new entrants, as well as on those employees who return from their holiday leave before they resume work. There is now an obligation to limit visits to one person per resident and impose a maximum of one hour a day, requesting that visits be staggered to avoid crowds. This can be avoided in the case of patients who are at the end of their life. Residencias must prevent residents leaving the residencias as much as possible.

- Mass events and activities: There is now an obligation to carry out a risk assessment by the health authorities of each event.

-The obligation to screen specific groups with PCR tests is established in the event of an epidemic outbreak. This refers to those populations considered at risk based on the specific outbreak of which there is evidence. This could apply to social health centers, educational centers or certain neighbourhoods or even specific buildings in which outbreaks have been reported (so in other words, if an outbreak is detected within a residential building, all residents must be screened).

- Mass events and activities: There is now the obligation to carry out a risk assessment by the health authorities of each event.

- Alcohol consumption: Botellon gatherings have been prohibited (these are a regular occurrence and involve groups of young people, who take their own alcohol and meet in a park or beach area for example, to drink and socialise. These have become a real focal point for infections and many outbreaks have been associated with this activity). The Autonomous Community is obliged to strictly apply its own regional sanctions with regard to this type of gathering and enforce this measure.

- Smoking is prohibited in public streets or in outdoor spaces when a minimum distance of 2 meters cannot be respected. Tobacco inhalation devices are also included in this measure. "The best thing is not to smoke, for reasons of public health," added the minister.(Note, this does include smoking in terraces of bars unless 2 metres of distancing can be guaranteed between clients. A distance of 1.5 metres is required between tables, so anyone wishing to smoke will have to make sure there is a greater distance between themselves and other clients than a single table) See post yesterday Galicia imposes smoking ban

The recommendations

-Recommend citizens to limit social encounters to their stable coexistence groups.

-Limit social encounters to a maximum of 10 people.

-In socio-sanitary centers and residences carry out PCR tests periodically.

The indication of observance or reminder is that "it is necessary to comply with all the means and capacities that are reflected in the Early Response Plan", that is, to use all the resources available and necessary to stop the outbreaks.

The measures will be published in the BOE once the relevant documentation has been approved by each of the regional governments and each has prepared its own regional documentation implementing the measures, so will come into force within a few days. As the measures have been agreed unanimously, the Minister hopes that the approval will be little more than a formality, and approval will be quick. The smoking ban has already been approved by Galicia so will take immediate effect there.