Catalonia has again tightened for 15 days the restrictions established in Barcelona and part of its metropolitan area to contain the advance of the coronavirus. In addition to the entry into force of the restrictions on mobility there are new measures that come into force this Friday:
Affected municipalities
The measures affect Barcelona city, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Montcada i Reixac, Viladecans, El Prat de Llobregat, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Sant Joan Despí, Cornellà de Llobregat, Sant Just Desvern, Esplugues de Llobregat, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Sant Adrià de Besòs, Badalona, Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Gavà and Castelldefels.
Prohibitions
-The Government will close bars and restaurants in Barcelona and all of Catalonia until at least November 9th. Bars and restaurants will only be able to offer food service at home or takeaway by appointment.
Gyms and sports centers will also be closed. And theaters, cinemas and concert halls.
-Services involving physical contact with customers will not be provided, except for essential, sanitary or social-health services. Beauty treatment services are prohibited, except for hairdressing services.
-Fairs, congresses and conventions are also suspended. And major holidays.
Shopping centers and stores over 800 square meters should be closed. In shopping centers, access and use of recreational areas such as children’s areas, toy libraries or rest areas are restricted.
-In addition, meetings or gatherings of more than 6 people are prohibited in both the private and public spheres, except for work activities or public transport. People who have symptoms of covid-19 or who have to be isolated or in quarantine for any reason cannot participate. In the case of public spaces, the consumption of food and drinks is not allowed.
Smoking is not allowed on public roads or in open spaces if the minimum safety distance of 2 meters cannot be respected. This limitation applies to any device for inhaling tobacco, water pipes, bongos or similar.
-Religious services, weddings, burials, cremations and farewell ceremonies are limited to one third of the capacity.
It is not allowed to open discotheques, dance halls and cocktail bars with or without live music performances. Nor may they open gaming rooms and casinos.
Recommendations
– It is recommended that the population remain at home and limit traffic on public roads, except for work, shopping or unavoidable matters.
– It is recommended that social gatherings, both public and private, be limited to a maximum of 6 people. In the case of public spaces, no food or drink is allowed.
Limitation of mobility
-Mobility is restricted between 10pm and 6am, a rule that came into force throughout Catalonia on the 15th.
In addition, perimeter confinement, which restricts mobility between municipalities on weekends, comes into effect from 6 a.m. on Friday to 6 a.m. on Monday. Mobility is guaranteed to go to work or school, as well as in cases of force majeure.
– Exceptions: within the regions mobility will be allowed to go to cemeteries on October 31st and November 1st. And in bordering municipalities, mobility will be allowed in cases of individual sports practice.
– It is recommended that travel outside the home be limited as much as possible, as well as travel on public roads
Outside the home, avoid social contacts as much as possible (meetings with friends, weekend outings) and promote teleworking.
-Limit the social relationship to the cohabitation bubble (people who live under the same roof) and the extended cohabitation bubble (those with whom we usually have close and closed relationships)
– Travel to financial institutions, purchase of food, beverages or other raw materials, other purchases by appointment, leisure activities or outdoor sports with groups of habitual cohabitation, gardens for self-consumption and management that cannot be postponed.
– Renewals of permits and official documentation, as well as other administrative procedures that cannot be postponed. For exams or official tests that cannot be postponed.
– Other situations of force majeure or necessity.
Limited seating
-Reduction to 30% of the capacity of the stores of equal or less than 800 square meters and of the travelling markets. If this is not possible, customers can only enter one at a time.
– Museums will be able to open only a third of their capacity while libraries only for their loan service.
-The face-to-face teaching activities of Catalan universities will be limited to a maximum and theoretical teaching will become virtual.
