Part one of Catalonia's new Covid rules are now in force. As of this Thursday, businesses and activities throughout Catalonia have to close at 12:30am, gatherings and meetings of all types are limited to a maximum of ten people, and it is not permitted to eat or drink in groups in public spaces. All of this become compulsory, independently of part two - the still-to-be-approved curfew for 161 Catalan municipalities.
With the publication of the new rules in the official Catalan government gazette today, the first phase of the new restrictions proposed by the government to check the spread of Covid-19 come into force, after being endorsed by the Catalan High Court on Wednesday. So what's permitted and what's banned with the new measures?
- Everything closes at 12:30am. This is the new closing time for bars, restaurants, shops, theatres, cinemas, auditoriums and so on... any commercial, cultural or leisure activity has to end by half past midnight. In addition, the sale of alcoholic beverages by retail establishments will not be allowed between 10pm and 6am.
- Groups of ten at the most. Meetings and gatherings in both public and private spaces may not exceed the limit of ten people, unless they belong to the same household bubble group. As well, the indoor spaces of bars and restaurants can only be used up to 50% of their normal maximum capacity and the maximum number seated at a table is six, with tables at least two metres apart.
- A ban on eating and drinking in groups in the street. You are prohibited to get together with others and eat or drink in public spaces. This means no botellons or picnic lunches in streets, squares, parks or on beaches. It is recommended that local councils close off access to the "spaces of public concurrence in public ownership" between 12:30am and 6am.
- Bums on seats at concerts. For the moment, cultural events where audience members stand or do not respect safety distances are, for the time being, prohibited. People have to stay seated and keep their distance if they attend a concert or any other kind of performance.
These are the first restrictions to enter into force as the fifth wave of Covid-19 buffets Catalonia, but still pending a judicial approval is the proposed curfew. On Wednesday the Catalan government decreed a plan for a curfew from 1am to 6am every night, to apply to 161 municipalities, which could begin this weekend if given the green light by the courts.
Some city councils had pressured the Catalan government to implement a tougher restriction on night mobility, as the measures which have come into force this Thursday were criticised as a back-door curfew that shifted the responsibility to the municipalities. Barcelona mayor Ada Colau called for "clarity" on the enforcement of the new measures and complained about a lack of resources to make them effective.
8,000 new cases a day
The restrictions that come into force this Thursday and the possible curfew come as Catalonia reaches the figure of more than 800,000 citizens who have had the coronavirus, with 100,000 of these concentrated in the current fifth wave. The daily numbers of new cases have remained around the 8,000 mark since last week. All this, accompanied now by an increase in hospitalizations, which have made it necessary once again to take special measures to fight the pandemic.
Below, the Catalan government's resolution listing the new measures in force from 15th July.
Main image: People partying in the streets of Barcelona in 2021 / Photo: Pau de la Calle.