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With the Covid-19 epidemic in decline, half of the population of Spain will gradually advance towards normality since Monday with the limited resumption of social, commercial, tourist, leisure, cultural and sports activities, although with the caution of the Government for the fear of a regrowth and the uncertainty of the important hospitality sector.
The evolution of the disease follows a “favorable path” throughout the country, stressed the spokesman of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Fernando Simón, at a press conference on Sunday.
However, 6 of the 17 Spanish regions will only be able to partially pass tomorrow to phase 1 of the transition plan envisaged by the Executive, which alleviates some of the economic and movement restrictions imposed on people from the start of the state of alarm. , last March 14.
The three most inhabited Spanish cities and their areas of influence (Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia) will have to wait. Their respective regions (Madrid, Catalonia and Valencian Community) do not yet meet all the requirements for sanitary reinforcement or epidemic control established by the Executive.
Madrid, with 6.7 million inhabitants, will be the only region whose territory will remain in its entirety in the previous stage (phase 0), pending the strengthening of primary health care.
On the last day, the number of deaths in Spain from the coronavirus was 143 (that is, 36 less than a day earlier), which is the lowest number since March 18, and the total number of deaths reached 26,621 since the epidemic began.
Those infected reported in one day by PCR tests rose slightly to 621, reaching 224,390 cases, the Ministry of Health reported this Sunday, although weekends usually entail a data delay, which is updated the following days.
Madrid and Catalonia lead the accumulated statistics of deaths and cases; and also the daily ones, followed by the regions of Castilla-La Mancha and Castilla y León, which border Madrid.
Hotels refuse to open
The Spanish Government, which continues to recommend teleworking, authorizes, in this new stage, the resumption and reopening of numerous activities, facilities and services, although with conditions such as attendance limits, safety distance between people, hygiene measures, personal protection and frequent disinfection of facilities and jobs.
In phase 1, it is possible to visit the family, gatherings of up to 10 people, move to second residences and hotels in the same province where you live, buy in shops of up to 400 square meters, with exceptions, or attend churches and museums .
These activities include accommodation and consumption of food and drink outdoors on terraces.
The hotels and tourist establishments (Spain is a world potential in the sector) will only be able to provide food service to the hosted clients, without using common areas such as swimming pools, spas, gyms, mini clubs, children’s areas, discotheques or social lounges.
The terraces of hotels, bars and restaurants will be able to occupy 50% of the tables, with a maximum of 10 clients in each one.
But under these conditions, the hotel sector plans to remain closed until mobility between provinces and regions is allowed, which is expected only at the end of the entire transition plan, probably from June 22.
Travel restrictions both in Spain and from abroad hinder the influx of customers, argued Efe the general secretary of the Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodation (Cehat), Ramón Estalella.
Neither will they open premises with a terrace because half the occupation is not profitable, some owners told Efe.
“Prudence, caution and caution”
The decision of the Ministry of Health to prevent the Madrid region (very concerned about the retail commercial stoppage) and part of others, such as the Valencian Community (east) and Andalusia (south), generated harsh criticism against the Executive.
The head of the Government, the socialist Pedro Sáchez, met today by videoconference with the presidents of all the regions. In a subsequent press appearance, the government spokeswoman, María Jesús Montero, asked to act with loyalty and “not transfer false grievances” between regions.
“Forcing the rhythm can cost us dearly” in human lives and economic decline, he warned. “The really serious thing would be to move away from that sanitary criterion and be carried away by considerations of a political nature or of any other nature,” he stressed, since it is very important to avoid outbreaks for the recovery of the country in all senses.
The decisions are based on “prudence, precaution and caution,” according to Montero, and “technical criteria” according to “objective” indicators, added the Minister of Health, Salvador Illa, who highlighted the atmosphere of “cordiality” with the regions.
However, it generated controversy that the Government maintains the anonymity of the experts who evaluate the situation in each region to change phase.
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