The autonomous communities address new restrictions in the hotel industry and nightlife before the celebration of New Year’s Eve to face the increase in infections in the sixth wave. In addition to the mandatory use of the mask outdoors throughout Spain –decreted after the Conference of Presidents took place–, several autonomies have announced the limitation of nightlife hours or even decreed their closure. Catalonia, for its part, has established a curfew between 1:00 and 6:00 for 125 municipalities. In Galicia, contacts between non-cohabitants between 3:00 and 6:00 have been prohibited.
These are the restrictions, community by community:
- Andalusia. The Chairman of the Board, Juanma Moreno, has assured that will meet the first week of January both the territorial committees and the committee of experts, but “there are no restrictions on the table like those of the Generalitat de Catalunya, no curfew or measures as harsh as in other communities.” In Andalusia, the COVID certificate or a negative diagnostic test is still in force to access residences, hospitals, leisure and hospitality. In addition, the Government has encouraged to follow some recommendations such as limiting Christmas meals to a maximum of two households, choosing wide public roads to avoid crowds in the Kings parades or the end of the year bells and keeping indoor tables with a maximum ten diners for the hospitality industry.
- Aragon. The regional government has announced the advance of the closure of the hotel business at midnight and the nightlife at 02.00 hours. In addition, the tables will have a maximum of 10 diners indoors and outdoors, also in nightlife, and it cannot be consumed at the bar. The COVID passport runs until January 15 for events of more than 250 people indoors and 500 outdoors, while cultural shows will have a 50% reduction in capacity.
- Asturias. From Tuesday December 28 the interior of the nightlife will remain closed and the COVID passport will be mandatory to access bars, restaurants, gyms, gambling venues, mass events and nursing homes. The hotel business may open until 01:00 at the latest, while the closure of nightlife has been decreed. Both restrictions will last for one month.
- Cantabria. It decrees the immediate closure of nightlife, reduces once again the capacity in the hotel and restaurant sector and applies new restrictions on cultural or sports facilities in practically all of its territory, especially in those most populated municipalities and with the highest incidence of coronavirus. Here, all the measurements.
- Castilla la Mancha. Despite believing that the control of massive events is appropriate, García-Page considers that it is a decision that should be taken jointly by all the autonomous communities and does not propose to apply new restrictions.
- Castile and Leon. After requesting a report from the experts to study the possible measures and after the call for elections, the community does not impose restrictions but recommends limiting the meetings.
- Catalunya. From December 24 to the day of Kings, 125 municipalities have established a curfew that prohibits night mobility between one and six in the morning, except for essential needs. Nightlife is closed and meetings are limited to a maximum of ten people. All have a population of more than 10,000 inhabitants and an incidence of more than 250 cases per 100,000 residents. In addition, 12 other municipalities have requested that this measure be applied to them. In this community it is necessary to present the COVID certificate to access restaurants, gyms, nursing homes and cultural spaces.
- Valencian Community. The COVID certificate is necessary to access all kinds of places with food service, cultural spaces and gyms. In several municipalities the New Year’s Eve parties have been suspended.
- Euskadi. The Basque Country has agreed to close all non-essential activities, including bars and restaurants, at one in the morning, a decision endorsed by the Superior Court of Justice of the Basque Country this Friday. In hospitality, the tables will be limited to ten people and consumption at the bar with a capacity of 60% is prohibited. The lehendakari has clarified that in cultural and sporting events there may not be more than 600 people indoors and 800 outdoors for smaller spaces, while where it has a capacity of 1,600 to 5,000 people there may not be more than 800 indoors and 1,200 in Exterior. In addition, the consumption of food and drink is prohibited in cultural and sports venues. The COVID passport is necessary to access nightlife from 10:00 p.m. and to restaurants with more than 50 diners, while the incidence exceeds 150 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. It will be requested in concert halls, hotels, sports facilities and hospitals, social health and penitentiary centers, when the incidence exceeds 300 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. In addition, it is recommended to reduce and limit family Christmas celebrations to a limited number and without changing their composition.
- Estremadura. The Board has stated that it is not considering applying restrictions due to being at risk level 2. Although it recommends that there be no more than ten people per table and that the nuclei of cohabitants that meet be “the least possible”.
- Galicia. The Xunta has announced the closing of the bars from midnight (except Fridays and Saturdays, which will do so at one o’clock) and the prohibition of contacts between non-cohabitants between 3.00 and 6.00. Initially the ban was to be limited to encounters in the street, but it has finally been extended by surprise to private spaces. Standing cocktails and reception events with aperitifs are prohibited and there is a limit of eight diners indoors and fifteen on the terrace at each table in the hotel business. The nightlife will lower the blind at three in the morning. In addition, it is recommended that the dinners of these parties do not exceed ten people, being preferable that they belong to the same family unit. The COVID passport is widely implemented, being necessary to access nightlife, pilgrim hostels, health centers, residences for the elderly, mass events and cultural spaces.
- Balearic Islands. The Balearic Islands will have a special control plan on New Year’s Eve and will penalize locals that have breached the regulations. They have also warned that if the breaches persist “forceful measures will have to be taken, such as the closure of all nightlife.” The regional government has agreed to extend the requirement of the certificate in the islands at level 3 of health alert to all catering establishments, regardless of their capacity, and to all cultural establishments.
- Canary Islands. Justice has rejected the curfew on New Year’s Eve and Twelfth Night. The COVID passport is implemented voluntarily throughout the community, so it is the owners of the establishment who decide whether to require it or not. In Fuerteventura, Tenerife Gran Canaria, the hotel industry must close at 1:00 am and its capacity is limited to 40% of the usual indoors. In La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro and Lanzarote, the hotel business must close at 2.00 and its capacity is limited indoors to 50%.
- The Rioja. Has advanced the closure of the hotel and nightlife at 1.00 as of Wednesday. In addition, it has recommended limiting diners in bars, cafes and restaurants and teleworking to 10 people per table. La Rioja has already been authorized by the Justice the requirement of the certificate to access hospitals, social service centers, nightlife, restaurants with a capacity of more than 50 diners and outdoor events of more than 5,000 people, until the 22nd of January.
- Madrid. The Minister of Health has advanced that his Government will take measures so that macro parties are not held on New Year’s Eve. For the rest, Isabel Díaz Ayuso has expressed her intention to maintain the health policy applied so far.
- Murcia. Since December 24, all non-essential activity remains closed from one in the morning. This restriction will remain in effect until January 14. To access the hotel and restaurant industry, it will be necessary to present the COVID passport. In addition, the number of diners per table is limited to 10 indoors and 312 outdoors and the capacity is 75%. The consumption of standing is also prohibited and the dance floors of the nightlife have been closed, where the use of the COVID certificate has also been implemented.
- Navarre. It has established the closure of bars and discos at 1 in the morning, in addition to prohibiting their consumption at the bar and limiting 10 people per table in these places until January 14. In addition, it has extended the COVID passport to nursing homes, gyms and closed sports spaces. Establishments, societies and clubs have been closed between 1 am and 6 am and it is recommended that celebrations and family gatherings be limited to ten people and two family units.
- Ceuta. A Covid certificate is required for those over 12 years of age to access interior hotel and restaurant venues with a capacity greater than 50 people, as well as to enter discos and other nightlife establishments or visit elderly people in residences or patients in centers hospitable.
- Melilla. A passport is mandatory to access the interior of hospitality establishments and in and out of nightlife establishments or those in which activities such as dancing are carried out, as well as to access residences, hospitals and prisons.
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