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ARCHIVED - Possible restrictions for hospitality in Spain amid Covid passport chaos
Ministers will debate on whether to close bars at 11pm in medium risk areas of Spain
In light of the rising Covid cases in Spain and much of Europe battening down the hatches against the sixth wave of the pandemic, the Public Health Commission is set to meet on Tuesday November 23 to debate increasing restrictions once more for the hospitality sector.
Rather than implementing a sweeping national policy, the experts will look at the option of closing the interiors of bars and restaurants from 11pm if the region is in the medium risk category; that is, with a 14-day cumulative incidence rate of more that 100 cases per 100,000 inhabitants and with high hospital and ICU pressure. Under this new regime, Spain would remain at medium risk for the incidence rate (currently at 132) but it would not meet the hospital occupancy requirement.
The document up for debate also suggests closing nightclubs at 1am and once again limiting capacity in hospitality venues to 10 perople per table and setting a 50% indoor maximum.
The news comes as the Minister of Health, Carolina Darias, is being heavily criticised for refusing to take a national stance on the use of the Covid-19 passport throughout Spain. The Ministry of Health’s indecision on the matter is causing chaos, with each community deciding on the parameters of its use.
Earlier this week, the Superior Court of Justice (TSJ) of the Basque Country refused the proposal to introduce the Covid certificate for entry into nightlife venues, claiming that it would mean a limitation of fundamental rights. However, Galicia, Catalonia and the Balearic Islands are all requiring the passport for various pursuits, leading to immense frustration and confusion in the country.
The majority of regions have called on the government to approve the extended use of the passports to avoid the situation of last summer, when each community’s court ruled on whether or not the document could be used. For his part, the president of the Valencian Community, Ximo Puig, has announced his intention to implement the system in the coming weeks, while Madrid believes that measure is unnecessary given that 89.1% of the target population is now vaccinated.
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