Health Dpt finalising reopening of nightlife

BarcelonaThe Department of Health will meet this Friday with the nightlife industry to agree on the measures for reopening, which, predictably, will be "in a few weeks", according to the Secretary of Public Health, Carmen Cabezas. Although she has avoided talking about dates, she has indicated that a favourable reopening for everyone is being sought, also taking into account the "economic recovery" of a sector that has been closed for months due to the spread of covid. In any case, she insisted, it will remain linked to the evolution of the epidemiological situation. The main question now is whether clubs and bars will open for the festival of Sant Joan on June 23 or whether the great reopening will be postponed another couple of weeks.

After some regional governments, led by Madrid and the Basque Country, voted against the Spanish government's de-escalation plan, rebelled against the impositions - Madrid even filed an appeal before the High Court - and announced that they would implement their own restrictions, the Ministry of Health has backed down and accepted that the measures it proposes for the reopening of nightclubs, bars and mass events become only recommendations. Therefore, it will be the regions who will have the last word on possible restrictions on the sector.

This Thursday, the Catalan nightlife employers' association, Fecasarm, celebrated regions being in charge of preparing de-escalation and asked the Generalitat for "courage and confidence in business people" after a fifteen-months closure of venues. The sector expects the Generalitat to issue a resolution as soon as possible better "with conditions that make activities minimally profitable. This would include, for example, nightclubs remaining open beyond three o'clock at night, you can make use of the dance floor and restrictions becoming more flexible every week or fortnight depending on the evolution of the health situation.