Barcelona and its surroundings are back in a coronavirus lockdown regime which applies recommendations in relation to travel and moving around, but also outright restrictions and prohibitions in other areas, such as a ban on gatherings of more than ten people. On Friday 17th July the Catalan government announced these measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic that affect the city of Barcelona, and the surrounding municipalities of Viladecans, El Prat de Llobregat, Sant Joan Despí, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Cornellà, Sant Just Desvern, Esplugues de Llobregat, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Montcada i Reixac, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Sant Adrià de Besòs and Badalona. The western Catalonia counties of Segrià and Noguera were also intended to be covered by these norms but judges have partially rejected them. However, in Barcelona the measures were judicially validated and came into force for 15 days starting Saturday 18th July at 9am..
Personal travel
People in the areas mentioned above are recommended to stay home and limit all circulation on the street (by any means of transport), respecting the measures of coronavirus protection, both individual and collective.
It is recommended that you only leave your home for the following reasons:
- To go to work, in cases where distance working is not possible.
- To go to health centres, health services and health establishments.
- To care for people who are elderly, minors, dependents, the disabled or especially vulnerable.
- To go to the bank or other financial and insurance institutions and related services.
- To go to food stores or establishments.
- To go to other shops, by appointment or after giving prior notice. These shops must comply with protection and security measures.
- To meet with people from your usual household cohabitation group for leisure or sports activities.
- To carry out required or urgent actions with public or judicial bodies or notaries.
- To renew official permits and documentation, as well as other unavoidable administrative procedures.
- To carry out removals, both for homes and professional premises.
- To care for domestic vegetable gardens.
- For official examinations or tests that cannot be postponed.
- Due to force majeure or situation of need.
Contacts must be limited to the people who are members of your usual household cohabitation group, which may include close relatives, caregivers and people who provide support to avoid isolation. This group must be as stable as possible.
The above norms on personal travel are recommendations only. However, all the rest of the restrictions and prohibitions given below are obligatory and fines may be charged for those who violate them.
Prevention and hygiene measures in workplaces
People who are responsible for workplaces, public and private, are required to adopt the following measures, among others:
- Put in place cleaning and disinfection measures appropriate to the characteristics of the workplaces and their intensity of use, as well as guaranteeing the ventilation of the spaces and buildings.
- Make soap and water, hydroalcoholic gels or disinfectants, available to employees for hand cleaning.
- Adopt organizational measures to ensure that minimum interpersonal safety distances are maintained. Where this is not possible, workers must be provided with the appropriate protective equipment for the level of risk.
- The use of masks is mandatory in the work environment.
- Take measures to avoid that groups of people coincide in the same place, both employees and customers or users, during the time slots in which most influx is expected.
- Promote the use of distance working when possible.
Retailers and service businesses
- Businesses are not able to offer services that involve close personal contact, unless it is an essential service, an emergency, or a critical situation. The service must be provided, to the maximum extent possible, without physical contact with customers.
- The retail or service activity must also be carried out, to the maximum extent possible, without physical contact with customers.
Meetings and gatherings (family and social)
- Meetings and gatherings of more than ten people, whether in private or public situations, are prohibited.
- This ban includes weddings, religious services, celebrations, funerals and the practicing of sports which violates the above conditions.
- Work-related activities and public transport are not considered included in this prohibition.
- In permitted meetings of up to ten people in public spaces, the consumption of food and drink is not allowed.
- People who have COVID-19 symptoms or who are in isolation or quarantine for any reason may not participate in these meetings.
Use of public transport
- Managers of workplaces must provide employees with the necessary time flexibility to avoid having to use public transport at rush hour.
Volunteers handing out masks in the Barcelona metro at the beginning of the pandemic / ACN
Cultural, entertainment, recreational, sports and nightlife activities
- The opening to the public of the following activities and facilities is suspended: theatres, cinemas and sports venues, leisure and recreational activities, amusement parks, children's playgrounds in enclosed spaces, archives, gymnasiums, nightclubs, discos, and other nighttime leisure establishments, and any other facility for activities that involve the interaction of a significant number of people belonging to different household cohabition groups, due to the increased risk of community transmission.
- Libraries and museums will remain open in line with the sector recovery plan approved by the Procicat civil protection committee.
- All special or temporary public cultural, entertainment, recreational, sports and nightlife activities are prohibited.
Hotel and restaurant activities
- Maximum capacity in the interior of bar and restaurant establishments is limited to 50% of the normal authorized maximum and consumption must always take place at the table.
- On terraces, the capacity must be the result of applying a distance of two metres between tables or groups of tables.
- Whenever possible, preference should be given to services of home delivery and take-away orders.
Barcelona bar terrace in the first days after the easing of lockdown/ EFE
School holiday activities and summer camps
- The activities of school holiday centres and summer camps are maintained. They must meet the criteria set by Procicat, especially with regard to stable groups of coexistence and other measures of prevention and health protection.
Below, the Catalan government document publishing the new rules, in Catalan: