Catalan Government to lift regional lockdown from Monday on

BarcelonaThe Catalan Government will lift the regional lockdown from next Monday on, and will allow the free mobility in the whole country during Easter. The decision arrives after the autonomous communities and the Ministry of Health have agreed to maintain the perimentral closure to limit the movement between territories between March 26 and April 9, with the exception of the Balearic and Canary Islands, and with the opposition of the Community of Madrid. In addition, the Procicat, led by the departments of Health and Home Affairs, has also agreed that non-essential shops can reopen on weekends, as has advanced TV3 and have confirmed to ACN sources of the Government. There are no changes, however, in the catering sector.

MThe Minister of Health, Alba Vergés, and the The Minister of Health, Alba Vergés, and the Minister of Home Affairs, Miquel Sàmper, will appear to announce the Procicat agreement and update the epidemiological and mobility situation in Catalonia. Vergés will be accompanied by the secretary of Public Health, Josep Maria Argimon, while Sàmper will be accompanied by the deputy director general of Coordination and Emergency Management, Imma Solé, and the commissioner of the Mossos d'Esquadra, David Boneta.

Sàmper has already pointed out early that "there would be airing and decompression" for the upcoming Easter holidays, and has ensured that people "will be happy" with the measures that will be in place. However, he also warned that this will not be about taking "two steps forward and then have to take four steps back". According to him, the measures that are approved for Easter will be "slow and short".

The Minister for the Presidency and spokeswoman of the executive, Meritxell Budó, already recognized on Tuesday that the regional lockdown would be lifted "very soon". In fact, the Catalan authorities already anticipated that it was necessary to "air" and relax the restrictions now that the epidemiological data have consolidated their decline. "For a long time there have been restrictions on rights and freedoms and airing out can take many forms, including mobility", said Argimon.