The Ministry of Health and all the Autonomous Communities have agreed on coordinated actions in the field of public health, which include the closure of nightlife, limiting the hours of operation in hotels and restaurants and smoking on public roads when it is not possible to keep at least two metres away from other people, among other measures that will be compulsory for the whole country. The scope of this decision, unprecedented in the current democratic stage, is justified by the significant increase in cases in all autonomous communities.
It was the Minister of Health, Salvador Illa, who, after the extraordinary and urgent meeting held this Friday by the Interterritorial Council of the National Health System, unveiled the initiative. He noted that, at the proposal of the department he leads, all autonomous communities have approved 11 measures in seven areas, three recommendations and a general indication of “compliance”.
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Health and all the Autonomous Communities agree to close nightlife throughout Spain and ban smoking in public
MONICA TRAGACETE 14.08.2020 – 12:43H
For the first time, coordinated public health measures are taken among all the Autonomous Communities.
IN BACKGROUND | The 11 measures and three recommendations agreed on Friday
The Ministry of Health and all the autonomous communities have agreed on coordinated public health measures, which include closing nightlife, limiting opening hours in hotels and smoking on public roads when it is not possible to keep at least two metres away from other people, among other measures that will be compulsory for the whole country. The scope of this decision, unprecedented in the current democratic stage, is justified by the significant increase in cases in all autonomous communities.
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It was the Minister of Health, Salvador Illa, who, after the extraordinary and urgent meeting held this Friday by the Interterritorial Council of the National Health System, unveiled the initiative. He noted that, at the proposal of the department he leads, all autonomous communities have approved 11 measures in seven areas, three recommendations and a general indication of “compliance”.
Among the measures are important limitations to the hotel industry and total restriction to nightlife, which as the minister said, this is an activity that has not caused very serious outbreaks, but has caused infections that are difficult to track.
Thus, discotheques, dance halls, night clubs and similar will close throughout Spain in the coming days. Bars and restaurants will remain open, but only until 1:00. Furthermore, they will not be able to accept new customers from 0:00 hours and the owners are obliged to guarantee a minimum distance of 1.5 meters in the bars, indoor tables and terraces, where in no case may form groups of more than 10 people.
The wine cellar will also be under close surveillance. The Minister of Health has recalled that this is in itself a prohibited activity, but has encouraged autonomous communities and municipalities to punish more strongly these practices, common among groups of young people, which can help the transmission of the virus.
“We cannot be undisciplined”, the minister assured during his appearance, in which he urged the population not to trust each other and to be careful with the use of masks, personal distance and frequent hand washing in order to reduce the risk of contagion. Illa has also called for meetings between groups of people who do not live together to be limited as much as possible.
Smoking prohibited if not two meters away
Another of the measures adopted on Friday is a ban on smoking in public spaces as long as it is not possible to keep at least two metres between people. This measure comes after Galicia announced this ban on its territory to the applause of medical organizations and scientific societies.
It has also been agreed this Friday that mass events have a risk assessment prior to their holding and measures have been established to increase safety in homes for the elderly.
Thus, all the social health centres in the country will have to carry out PCR tests on new arrivals at least 72 hours before they take place, a control that they will also have to carry out on workers who join on holiday or other similar circumstances.
Visits will also be limited to one person per major resident and day with a maximum duration of one hour and a shift system that avoids crowding.
Another of the agreements is to screen at risk populations.
When do these measures come into force?
This very Friday, the Ministry will send the necessary documentation to the communities so that, as soon as possible, they can transpose the measures agreed on in the Interterritorial Council into their regional legislation. Having been a unanimous agreement, Minister Illa has been confident that the initiatives will be operational in a few days in those communities that do not already have the regulations in force, because there are some, like Galicia with the ban on smoking, which already have that task ahead.
