ARCHIVED - Catalonia closes nightlife for a fortnight as Covid cases increase by the day
The Catalan government has decided to act as the situation is worsening again in the region, particularly among the younger age groups who have yet to be vaccinated.
The authorities in Catalonia have had to step in and do something to try and reduce the spread of coronavirus as incidence rates are climbing steeply in the region (see report yesterday;Covid cases in Catalonia increase sevenfold in a fortnight). The latest decision has been to close nightlife venues for at least a fortnight, which has sparked an angry response from the sector.
The regional government would also like to see masks become compulsory in public at all times again. The recent relaxation in nationwide rules that allowed citizens to remove their masks in open spaces where they can maintain social distancing has in practice simply led to many just not wearing masks outside at all, a Generalitat spokesperson said.
While indoor venues must close, those with outdoor areas and terraces will be allowed to remain open until 3 am, and events such as concerts and music festivals will continue. Events with seated audiences can go ahead as usual, no matter how large they are, but events for audiences of more than 500 with standing room only that allow dancing will require attendees to prove they have been fully vaccinated against or have tested negative for Covid-19.
While the Generalitat regional government declared that it had to take measures and reduce social interaction due to the fact that the public in general has relaxed too much and are disregarding safety measures, the nightlife sector argues that by closing discos the authorities are simply encouraging youngsters to take their parties elsewhere, where they will have less surveillance and thus be even more likely to throw precautions to the wind and end up catching the virus.
The sector had proposed testing punters before letting them in, which it said would also be a smart way to carry out mass screenings, but the government has ignored the suggestion and chosen to close them down again as it considers that to be the best way to stop youngsters from mingling.
On 21 June, when the sector opened its doors to the public with limited capacity, the 14-day accumulated incidence rate for 15 to 29-year-olds was at 160 cases per 100,000. Now, it has soared to 1,450 and in Barcelona city, it has surpassed 2,000. Although the rate for other age groups is far lower than that, with cases multiplying by the day and hospital admissions climbing, the Generalitat decided it had to make the tough decision before things get any worse.
Cataluña currently has the highest rate over 14 days in all of Spain; 492 cases per 100,000 of population, more than double the national average of 225.