Government considering allowing dinners in restaurants and delaying start of curfew

BarcelonaAfter the easing of restrictions that will start on Monday, with a possibility of travelling between counties (comarcas) as long as you do so only with your cohabitation bubble, the Goverment has continued advancing in its plan to help give hardest hit sectors some breathing space. Catalan government spokersperson Meritxell Budó has floated new measures for bars and restaurants which would come into force in a fortnight, coinciding with the beginning of Easter. These would include longer opening times which would allow them to serve dinners, as well as a delay in the beginning of curfew to 11 pm.

Current restrictions

As of today, travelling inside Catalonia with members of your own coexistence bubble is allowed. The measure will be maintained, at least, until March 28. Travellers will nevertheless have to carry a "responsible declaration". In addition, all shops under 800 square meters may open with a maximum capacity of 30%, as may gambling halls, and non-essential shops will be able open again at weekends. On the other hand, there are no changes to restrictions on bars and restaurantes.

Sports competitions

Federated sports competitions for children under 16 years are resumed. Spectators are also allowed in competitions with pre-assigned seats, except for professional state and international football and basketball competitions. All other competitions may allow spectators up to a maximum of 50% their regular capacity if it is outdoors and 30% if it is indoors.

Culture

Galas, award ceremonies and festivals may be held in venues and spaces where performing arts and music cultural activities take place, such as theatres, cinemas and auditoriums.

In addition, events linked to popular and traditional culture are allowed as long as they are static activities, held within a cordoned off space or in an enclosed space and the audience is seated. They will have the same capacity limitations as cultural activities that take place in theatres or auditoriums.

Gambling

Gambling halls, casinos and bingo halls may open at 30% capacity and with a maximum of 100 people, guaranteeing the minimum established ventilation. If, in addition, they comply with certain conditions of ventilation and reinforced air quality, and guarantee crowd control measures, they can accommodate, respecting the 30% capacity limit, up to a maximum of 250 people.

Trade

In trade the main changes have to do with the possibility of reopening on weekends. The measures that come into force this Monday, however, also benefit large establishments, which can open even if they are over 800 square metres as long as they limit the space open to the public to this area and reduce capacity to 30%.

In addition, if they respect these same indications, shops in shopping centres are allowed to open. Common areas are limited to 30% capacity, ventilation and air quality conditions must be met and access to and use of recreational areas, such as children's areas, playgrounds or rest areas, is restricted. The opening of bars and restaurants within shopping centres will continue to be suspended.

Review before Easter

From Friday 26 March and at the gates of Easter new measures will come into force. Family and social gatherings and meetings will from then on be limited to a maximum of 4 people in enclosed spaces, unless they live together, and in private spaces no meetings will be allowed between different cohabitation bubbles.

Police controls

Although it is impossible to monitor the entire population, the Mossos d'Esquadra and local police will adapt the controls to the authorization of mobility between counties and randomly check if they are made with the bubble of cohabitation. To do it, they will be able to request declarations of self-responsibility and certificates of coexistence in the controls to the highways. An average of 400 police checks are carried out every day.