IN DETAIL: The new measures which come into force tonight at midnight

Wednesday 20th January 2021 | MIKE SMITH

The regional health ministry has published a nine-page resolution which details the new restrictive measures which will become effective at midnight tonight Wednesday and will remain in place for at least 14 natural days.

We have translated the main points of the measures below:

RESOLUTION of January 19, 2021, of the Ministry for Universal Health and Public Health, which establishes exceptional and additional measures in the area of the Valencian Community as a consequence of the worsening of the health crisis situation caused by Covid-19. [2021/530]

First Article

1. The Hospitality Sector
   The closure and suspension of activities, establishments and spaces, which include:
   
   a) Recreational centres, including those for senior citizens and for young people such as children’s play zones, leisure centres and youth centres as well as centres where traditional fiesta activities are hosted.
   
   b) Restaurants, bars, and cafeterías as well as leisure and entertainment venues, with the exception of those which can provide a food and/or drink collection service on the premises (by appointment) or home delivery during normal opening hours.
   
   Excluded are those businesses which, by virtue of their special characteristics, provide a service that can be considered essential or non-replaceable. However, bar service is not allowed and capacity is restricted to 33% of licensed maximum.
   
   These exceptions include hospitality services in hospitals and clinics for the use of professionals and the companions and relatives of patients; hospitality services in hotels and tourist accommodation which are for the exclusive use of clients staying with them; hospitality services in companies and work places for the exclusive use of employed personnel;
   – school canteen services in kindergartens and regulated education centres such as primary schools, high schools, universities, etc.; cafeterías and restaurants in service areas on communication routes, or places that are not considered as service areas that are close to or adjacent to roads, either directly, in the case of conventional roads and provide service on a regular basis to transport personnel belonging to essential services of any kind, including the upkeep and maintenance of roads.
   
   c) Recreational gambling establishments such as casinos, bingo halls, slot machine arcades, gambling halls, etc.
   
2. Measures for Local Businesses
   Commercial premises and commercial surfaces must close at 6:00 pm. The commercial activity of the establishments and commercial premises dedicated to the essential commercial activity of food, hygiene, pharmacies, orthopedics, opticians, hairdressing services and sale of animal feed is exempted, only for the sale of said products as well as the departments dedicated to all the aforementioned activities that can be found inside the establishments.
   
   In the cases of establishments that provide or carry out different activities in the same space, they must clearly mark out each one of them, respecting the limits for each product sector according to their established capacity. In any case, the appropriate measures will be established through the corresponding arrangement with signaling of the direction of circulation or physical barriers that mark out each space whilst the capacity determined in the self-protection plan of each centre must be met. The capacity in each of the establishments and commercial premises located there should be limited. The maximum capacity allowed will be visible at the entrance. In commercial and service premises, including those located in shopping centers, the use of common and recreational areas of commercial parks is not allowed, except for transit between commercial establishments.
   
3. Measures for Sports, Physical Activity and Sporting Facilities
   a) One can practice physical and sports activity, outdoors and outside sports facilities, without physical contact and in individual modalities, whilst those that are practiced in pairs can only be done so by those who live together.
   
   The maximum number of people that may be brought together for outdoor physical activity / individual modalities (hiking, cycling, running or training groups of individual outdoor modalities) will be established to limit the permanence of groups of people in public and private spaces, which is established by decree of the Presidency of the Generalitat.
   
   b) All competitions, activities and sporting events of an autonomous or lower scope, organized by public or private entities, in all sports categories and modalities, including training, are suspended.
   
   c) Sports facilities, indoors or outdoors, are closed, with the exception of those necessary for the development of international or state professional sports competitions and the respective training sessions, and those necessary for the development of official federated competitions of international or state level and of a non-professional nature and the respective training. Without prejudice to the exceptions contemplated in the previous paragraph, physical activity may not be carried out in open or closed sports facilities or centres, including clubs, gyms, training centres, sports complexes, pavilions, bowling alleys, racetracks, Pilates centres, yoga and the like.
   
4. Measures for Student Accommodation
   
   The use of common areas is limited to 30% of the capacity (including dining rooms, where shifts can be established) and always guaranteeing distancing and hygiene and prevention measures and visits are suspended.
   
5. Measures for Funerals, Wakes and Weddings
   
   a) Wakes may be held in all types of facilities, public or private, limited to a capacity of 30% with a maximum limit of 15 people in outdoor spaces or 10 people in closed spaces, whether or not they are living together and whenever possible. ensure safety distance.
   
   Participation in the entourage for the burial or cremation of the deceased person is restricted to a maximum of 15 people in outdoor spaces or 10 people in closed spaces, among family members and close friends.
   
   b) Non-religious ceremonies may be held in all types of facilities, public or private, either in outdoor spaces or closed spaces, as long as one third of their capacity is not exceeded, with a maximum of 15 people in outdoor spaces or 10 people in closed spaces, between family members and close friends, and that interpersonal distance for safety and hygiene measures can be guaranteed.

Second Article – Existing Measures

In everything not provided for in this resolution, and in what is compatible with it, the measures that, in general, are established in the Decrees of the President of the Generalitat, shall apply, in the territorial scope of the Valencian Community, current at all times, of measures of the Valencian Community as a result of the situation of health crisis caused by Covid-19; of the declaration of the state of alarm activated by the Government of the nation, and in the current resolutions adopted by the Ministry of Universal Health and Public Health, for the adoption of measures as a consequence of the health crisis situation caused by Covid- 19.

a) The Resolution of December 5, 2020, of the Ministry of Universal Health and Public Health, by which new additional measures are agreed in the Valencian Community as a result of the health crisis situation caused by COVID-19 (DOGV 5.12. 2020).

b) The Resolution of January 5, 2021, of the Ministry of Universal Health and Public Health, which establishes preventive measures exceptional measures and measures contained in the Resolution of December 5, 2020, of the Minister of Universal Health and Public Health, are modified, by which new additional measures are agreed in the Valencian Community, as a consequence of the health crisis situation caused by the COVID-19 (DOGV 6.01.2021).

c) The Resolution of the Ministry of Universal Health and Public Health, which partially modifies the Resolution of January 5, 2021, of the Ministry of Universal Health and Public Health, which establishes exceptional preventive measures and modifies contained measures in the Resolution of December 5, 2020, of the Minister of Universal Health and Public Health, by which new additional measures are agreed in the Valencian Community as a result of the health crisis situation caused by Covid19 (DOGV 9.01.2021).

Third Article – Collaboration

Request, for the fulfillment of this resolution, the collaboration of the Government Delegation of the Valencian Community and the Valencian Community city councils, for the purposes of cooperation, where appropriate, through the security bodies and forces and of the local police, for the control and application of the adopted measures.

Fourth Article – Fines

Failure to comply with the measures of this resolution will be subject to the procedure of the inspection activity and the sanctioning regime established in Decree Law 11/2020, of July 24, of the Consell, of specific sanctioning regime against non-compliance with the regulatory provisions of preventive measures against Covid-19.

Fifth Article – Validity

This resolution will be effective for a period of fourteen calendar days from 00:00 on January 21, 2021.

The resolution will be effective for a period of 14 natural days from 00:00 on Thursday 21st January 2021.