Ripollès and Cerdanya regions closed due to covid impact

Barcelona / GironaChristmas and New Year's Eve in Ripollès and Cerdanya will be different from those in the rest of Catalonia. The two counties have been closed at midnight this year - mobility between both territories is also restricted - due to the impact of the coronavirus. Police controls at the different accesses to Ripollès are already causing queues on the first day of the border closure, such as the southern entrance to Ripoll on the C-17.

"The increase and the rate of reproduction is disproportionate", the coordinator of the covid-19 monitoring unit, Dr. Jacobo Mendioroz, warned. This has forced the Government to take the drastic decision to leave the Ripollès and Cerdanya isolated and to limit several activities, such as hospitality. Christmas celebrations are also affected: on public holidays, meetings of up to 10 people in two bubbles will not be allowed and they will have to be of six people in both regions, and respecting the limit of two support bubbles at the most. However, they will keep the exceptions of the Christmas, New Year's Eve and 5th January curfew, like in the rest of the country.

Entering or leaving the Ripollès and Cerdanya to visit family or people close to you is also not allowed. Travelling to second homes or hotels is also not valid for entering or leaving both regions. The exceptions to move will be the usual ones, such as work, health, care of elderly, dependent or minors, and return to the place of residence.

As far as activities are concerned, bars and restaurants can only serve takeaway food, sports activities cannot be carried out in closed spaces - ski slopes are excluded - and theatres and cinemas cannot be opened either, but libraries and museums can. Basic necessities stores can operate and also those of less than 800 square meters, with 30% of capacity. Hotels, rural houses and other tourist accommodation are kept open for clients who are already in both regions.

Heavy police presence

The Mossos d'Esquadra, with the local police of Puigcerdà and Ripoll, will deploy around 200 troops to control the lockdown, similar to the one in Conca d'Òdena in March and in Segrià in summer, but "adapted to the territorial reality". The Minister for Home Affairs, Miquel Sàmper, explained that the exceptions that will be allowed to move are like those of the previous perimeter lockdowns.

The regional councils of Cerdanya and Ripollès have understood the lockdown but have called for urgent aid for the economic sectors concerned. "People's lives are at stake, but we are in a very difficult economic situation regarding the tourism sector, which will suffer greatly from the decision", said the president of the Cerdanya regional council, Roser Bombardó. Her counterpart in Ripollès, Joaquim Colomer, thinks the same, adding that this should be "immediate" aid. The Catalan Government will meet with both councils in order to establish the subsidies.