Three Spanish regions relax movement and trade restrictions

SOME regions in Spain have relaxed restrictions on movement as their Covid case numbers are starting to decline or at least level off.

Catalunya, which had confined every single one of its towns and cities – meaning nobody was allowed in or out of them other than for very limited exceptions – will now move the ring-fencing to districts instead, starting from this Monday (February 8).

Also, bars and restaurants in the four provinces of Barcelona, Girona, Lleida and Tarragona are permitted to stay open an hour longer during each of the two 'shifts' they are permitted to trade – elevenses, or breakfast, and lunch – allowing them to serve customers from 07.30 to 10.30 and from 13.00 to 16.30, whilst gyms are now reopening to the public, albeit with limited numbers.

Book shops in Catalunya will be permitted to open again at weekends, from Saturday, February 13, as they have, until now, been among the shops considered 'non-essential' and obliged to close at weekends, but the definition has now changed as these outlets are considered 'cultural establishments'.

Universities in Catalunya will shortly be switching from entirely remote learning to a mixture of online and classroom-based for first-year students.

In Extremadura, 'non-essential' shop opening hours will be extended from tomorrow (Friday, February 5), from 10.00 to 18.00 on weekdays and up to 14.00 on Saturdays, and nursing homes where all staff and residents have had both doses of their vaccines can start reopening for visits and days out.

Madrid, a region which has resisted shutting bars and restaurants, has now increased the permitted maximum per table from four people to six.

Aragón has lifted the border closure on the town of Tarazona (Zaragoza province).

In almost every other region, earlier restrictions remain the same and are not expected to increase, except for isolated cases of specific towns or villages which may go into semi-lockdown if their contagion rates reach high levels.