The Generalitat de Catalunya has decided to relax some of the restrictive measures just over ten days before Christmas. Despite keeping the entire territory in phase 1 of de-escalation, due to the brake in the fall of infections, this Saturday has decided to allow the opening of shopping centers from Monday, expand the maximum assistance in the activities of the cultural sector and modify the weekend perimeter confinement so that it goes from municipal to regional.
The opening of shopping centers, demanded by the sector this last week, will be conditional on reducing their capacity to 30%. “The limitation applies both to establishments and commercial premises as well as to common areas”, reads the Government’s statement. The enclosures must enable flow control systems both in the stores and in the entrances and even in the car parks. And the children’s areas will be closed.
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The decision, adopted this Saturday by the Procicat (the body formed by Health and Interior), also responds to the intention of the Government to prevent the appearance of images of crowds in the main shopping streets of Barcelona. Both the shopping centers and the district confinement would allow a greater distribution of purchases that always intensify these days in December.
As for theaters, cinemas and concert halls, the capacity of 50% is maintained, but the maximum capacity is increased, which until now was 500 people per session. If the ventilation conditions and other control measures are met, there may be up to 1,000 attendees. “In this sense, the holders of the activities must present a responsible declaration to the Department of Culture and to the City Council,” the statement added.
After achieving a sustained fall in infections, a few days after the start of the de-escalation, the bad epidemiological data forced the Generalitat to stop. When verifying that the RT – the indicator that measures the transmission speed – rose above 0.9, where it has now stabilized, it was decided to extend phase 1 de-escalation at least until December 21.
The current de-escalation section allows the opening of bars with a capacity of 100% on the terraces (although with a maximum of four people per table) and 30% indoors. Social gatherings are also limited to six people. In the face of Christmas, it is planned to relax measures and, at a minimum, allow meetings of 10 people and total mobility during holidays such as December 24 or 25.
