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Curfew returns in Catalonia, to combat the threat of the sixth wave of Covid. The Catalan High Court (TSJC), ignoring the opposition of public prosecutors, has approved the Pere Aragonès government's request to decree a curfew in 126 municipalities to begin this very night, as Thursday 23rd becomes Friday 24th. Specifically, from midnight on, the maximum gathering size will be limited to 10 people. At 1am, curfew will begin for the first of fourteen nights approved by the TSJC.

The hours of night-time confinement, then, will be from 1am to 6am, to apply in municipalities of more than 10,000 inhabitants and with a seven-day Covid incidence (IA7) of more than 250 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, as well as in those municipalities which are surrounded by those in this category (the full list is given at the end of this article). The court also approved the limitation of gathering size to 10 people in public and private meetings, except when all are part of the same household group, or in demonstrations or political acts. The maximum capacity for religious and civil ceremonies will be 70%, and the use of the Covid-19 passport is maintained.

Set of measures

The curfew and the 10-person gathering limit will be in force from Thursday night in addition to the other measures which did not require court approval: the closure of the nightlife sector in Catalonia, the setting of a 50% maximum indoor occupancy for restaurants and bars, a 70% occupancy in cultural and entertainment events, shops and gyms, and the recommendation to reintroduce working from home as much as possible.

As well, the Spanish government has approved the obligation to wear a mask in all outdoor spaces in a royal decree. 

The full list of the 127 municipalities in Catalonia which will apply the curfew from 1am to 6am, from tonight until January 6th, is given at the end of this article.

Argument: CatSalut faces Covid crisis in January

In the resolution, the TSJC refers to the main arguments made by the health authorities: that the omicron variant is much more contagious than previous variants and could lead to 25,000 new cases per day in January 2022, with a very high impact due to the potential number of hospitalizations. In addition, the experts say that Catalonia "is in a very concerning situation of health emergency, which requires additional the immediate application of measures to reduce the number of consultations, admissions and deaths due to Covid-19." Finally, it notes that the complementary measures could help to reduce the potential impact of omicron on the Catalan population by a factor of ten.

Faced with this information, the court's administrative disputes chamber approved the three measures restricting fundamental rights, those of assembly and freedom of movement "in the face of the exponential growth of the omicron variant, which will overwhelm health care services in early January 2022”. And it says that it is necessary to apply the measures "without delay".

 

 

However, the court does not authorize two measures: in particular, that family and social gatherings and encounters "be subject to the conditions of capacity that are determined or to the corresponding sectoral plan". Nor does it accept that religious acts and civil ceremonies are subject "to the corresponding sectoral plan approved by the steering committee of the Procicat Action Plan." Therefore, in the latter case it sets a capacity of 70%.

The approval of the TSJC contrasts with the harshness of the public prosecutors, which asserted that the arguments of the Catalan health department "are not sufficient to limit fundamental rights". The prosecutors criticised the proposed measures as "severe, extensive, very restrictive and generalized."

Which Catalan municipalities are under the curfew? 

The Covid curfew in Catalonia applies to 118 municipalities of more than 10,000 inhabitants which have a seven-day Covid incidence (IA7) of more than 250 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. As well, it affects nine other municipalities (marked with an asterisk* in the list below) which are entirely surrounded by other towns where the curfew applies. The alphabetical list is:

  1. Abrera
  2. Amposta
  3. Arenys de Mar
  4. Argentona
  5. Badalona
  6. Badia del Vallès
  7. Balaguer
  8. Banyoles
  9. Barberà del Vallès
  10. Barcelona
  11. Berga
  12. Blanes
  13. Calafell
  14. Caldes de Montbui
  15. Calella
  16. Calonge i Sant Antoni
  17. Cambrils
  18. Canet de Mar
  19. Canovelles
  20. Cardedeu
  21. Cassà de la Selva
  22. Castellar del Vallès
  23. Castellbisbal
  24. Castelldefels
  25. Castelló d'Empúries
  26. Cerdanyola del Vallès
  27. Corbera de Llobregat
  28. Cornellà de Llobregat
  29. Cubelles
  30. Deltebre
  31. El Masnou
  32. EI Papiol*
  33. El Prat de Llobregat
  34. Esparreguera
  35. Esplugues de Llobregat
  36. Figueres
  37. Gavà
  38. Girona
  39. Granollers
  40. Igualada
  41. La Bisbal d'Empordà A
  42. La Canonja*
  43. La Garriga
  44. La Llagosta
  45. La Roca del Vallès
  46. La Seu d'Urgell 
  47. L'Escala
  48. Les Franqueses del Vallès
  49. L'Hospitalet de Llobregat
  50. Lleida, exceptuades les EMD de Sucs
  51. Raïmat
  52. Lliçà de Vall*
  53. Lliçà d'Amunt
  54. Llinars del Vallès
  55. Lloret de Mar
  56. Malgrat de Mar
  57. Manlleu
  58. Manresa
  59. Martorell
  60. Mataró
  61. Molins de Rei
  62. Mollerussa
  63. Mollet del Vallès
  64. Montcada i ReiXac
  65. Montgat
  66. Montmeló*
  67. Montornès del Vallès
  68. Olesa de Montserrat
  69. Olot
  70. Palafolls*
  71. Palafrugell
  72. Palamós
  73. Palau-Solità i Plegamans
  74. Pallejà
  75. Parets del Vallès
  76. Piera
  77. Pineda de Mar
  78. Polinyà*
  79. Premià de Dalt
  80. Premià de Mar
  81. Reus
  82. Ripoll
  83. Ripollet
  84. Roses
  85. Rubi
  86. Sabadell
  87. Salou
  88. Sant Adrià de Besòs
  89. Sant Andreu de la Barca
  90. Sant Andreu de Llavaneres
  91. Sant Boi de Llobregat
  92. Sant Carles de la Ràpita
  93. Sant Celoni
  94. Sant Cugat del Vallès 
  95. Sant Feliu de Guíxols
  96. Sant Feliu de Llobregat
  97. Sant Jaume d'Enveja*
  98. Sant `Joan de Vilatorrada v
  99. Sant Joan Despí
  100. Sant Just Desvern
  101. Sant Pere de Ribes
  102. Sant Quirze del Vallès
  103. Sant Sadurní d'Anoia
  104. Sant Vicenç dels Horts
  105. Santa Coloma de Farners
  106. Santa Coloma de Gramenet
  107. Santa Margarida de Montbui
  108. Santa Perpètua de Mogoda
  109. Santa Susanna*
  110. Sentmenat*
  111. Sitges
  112. Tarragona
  113. Tàrrega
  114. Terrassa
  115. Tordera
  116. Torelló
  117. Torredembarra
  118. Tortosa
  119. Vallirana
  120. Valls
  121. Vic
  122. Viladecans
  123. Vilafranca del Penedès
  124. Vilanova del Camí
  125. Vilanova i la Geltrú
  126. Vila-seca
  127. Vilassar de Mar

 

Main photo: Catalan minister of health, Josep Maria Argimon / Efe