Spain's health minister, Salvador Illa, announced on Friday that there was agreement with regional governments to adopt specific measures to counter the rise in the number of coronavirus cases.
"There have been a number of growing outbreaks in recent weeks, and so I am announcing that we have decided to adopt coordinated actions for public health matters for the first time."
The regions have therefore agreed to the closure of all discos, clubs and cocktail bars. For the rest of the hospitality sector, closing time will be 1am. There are to be reinforced controls to prevent drinking in public places (e.g. the "botellón" parties), while smoking "on the public way and in open-air spaces" will be prohibited in situations where social distancing of 1.5 metres is not possible.
For care homes for the elderly, visits will be limited to one hour. There is also a recommendation to limit social gatherings to no more than ten people, where these gatherings are "outside the coexistence group".
This is the first time that the government and the regions have activated Level 2 of the coordination envisaged under the Early Response Plan in the event of the need to control spread of the virus. Illa stressed that the measures "are applicable to the whole of the Spanish territory".
The minister urged young people to be "disciplined" and to comply with preventive measures and stressed the need for regional administrations and town halls to apply sanctions against the botellón. "Let's be clear. Drinking in the street is prohibited. You cannot drink in the street."
He added that nightlife does not produce more outbreaks than other activities, but that contact-tracing is more difficult and that numbers specific to an outbreak centred on nightlife are higher.
* Some of this is going to require clarification; it's not yet, for instance, been made clear when the measures apply.
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The smoking ban is ridiculous. Nicotine is toxic and its highly unlikely a virus can survive in its presence. If they can prove that a virus can survive in tobacco smoke I will boe my head and never question a medical professional again. Plus, locals were doing fine smoking and going out until we were flooded with tourists. If the politicians had half a brain they would have stopped tourism for this year and used part of the 140 billion from the eu to help the small businesses and workers that suffer because of this closure.
Slowly we creep towards autocracy. These are dangerous times covid is being used as an excuse by the government to inflict its neo-marxist progressive politics.
I will repeat myself; Spanish people don’t understand the restrictions. Face masks and even gloves in the supermarket! Handgel in every shop... But when the somebody who they know they forget everything! I saw people with face masks removing them to kiss friends or family! No no no. Do not kiss, do not touch and keep 1.5 meteres distance. We have to wear a stupid face mask to prevent the virus to get more people infected but all other rules don’t seem to matter. Spain will never win as long as the people don’t understand the rules. Yes there are tourists who are stupid and don’t listen to the rules. But the main issues are with the beloved Spanish people. I think Spanish people are more or less the nicest in Europe but please be less nice to people in general and be more like Swedish people keep you distance. 💪✍️