Valencian announces new measures to fight the COVID-19 infection
Bars and restaurants will see their capacities reduced to one-third inside and 50% outside whilst sporting events and competition must be played behind closed doors.
New restrictions will be coming into force at midnight today (Friday) after the publication of Resolution 06/11/2020 in the Official Gazette which details the “extraordinary additional measures” which have been decreed by the Generalitat Valenciana to face the acceleration of the coronavirus infection throughout the region.
In addition, Ximo Puig, president of the Generalitat Valenciana, confirmed that the land borders of the Comunidad Valenciana will remain closed for another seven days and that the municipalities of Elda and Petrer will be going into perimeter confinement. The regional government will be closely monitoring the impact of these measures to determine future action, calling on all residents in the region for responsibility.
He explained that new cases of COVID-19 infection have tripled in the last three weeks, rising to 258 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants, adding that the age group where infections are more prevalent are the 15-29 year band, where the IA rate is 313 cases per 100,00.
The new measures reduce the capacity of bars and restaurants to one-third inside and 50% outside on the terrace. Self-service or buffet service is prohibited and group drinking in the street and public areas outside of the bars and restaurants is not permitted.
Sporting events and competitions will now be played ‘behind closed doors’ whilst cinemas, theatres and other similar closed spaces must limit their occupation to 50% of normal capacity and record the details of those who attend.
The resolution will take effect from midnight tonight Friday 6th November and its provisions will remain in place until at least midnight on Wednesday 9th December.
The details:
1.1 Wakes and Burials
- 1.1.1 – Wakes can be held in public or private spaces of all types of facilities as long as occupancy does not exceed 1/3 of licensed capacity with a maximum of 25 people in outdoor spaces and 15 people in enclosed spaces, regardless of whether they live together and provided that the safety distance can be maintained.
- 1.1.2 – With regards to funerals (burials and cremations), the attendance is limited to a maximum of 25 people in outdoor spaces or 15 people in closed spaces and to family members and close associates.
1.2 Celebrations
- 1.2.1 – Non-religious ceremonies may be held in public or private spaces of all types of facilities, indoors or outside, as long as occupancy does not exceed 1/3 of licensed capacity with a maximum of 25 people in outdoor spaces and 15 people in enclosed spaces who should be family members and close friends only. Safety distances and hygiene measures must be maintained at all times.
- 1.2.2 – Celebrations that take place later and involve a hotel or restaurant service can be adjusted to the regulations specific to these venues, with a maximum of 25 people in outdoor spaces.
1.3 – Mass Events and Activities
No type of mass event or activity is authorized in accordance with the document “Recomendaciones para eventos y actividades multitudinarias en el contexto de nueva normalidad por Covid-19 en España”, the agreement of the Comisión de Salud Pública del Consejo Interterritorial del Sistema Nacional de Salud, and the document “Información necesaria para la autorización de celebración de eventos y actividades multitudinarias en la Comunidad Valenciana, por la Dirección General de Salud Pública, de 17 de agosto de 2020, actualizado el 3 de septiembre de 2020”, or similar events or activities.
1.4 – Traditional Fiesta Activities
The usual activities regulated in Decree 28/2011, which approves the regulations for the conditions and classification of traditional festive headquarters located in municipalities of the Comunidad Valenciana, are conditional on not exceeding six people, as established in the Resolution of 24/10/2020, and validated in Decree 14/2020 by the President of the Generalitat Valenciana. These activities will be restricted to the management and administration of traditional fiestas and will not be open to the public.
1.5 Children and Young People / Recreational Playgrounds
- 1.5.1 – In recreational outdoor playgrounds, bouncy castles, slides and other children’s games, the safety and hygiene measures established by the health authorities for the prevention of COVID-19 must be respected, the cleaning of such facilities must be carried out at least daily, the capacity of such facilities limited to 50% of normal occupancy, and the safety distance of 1.5 metres maintained at all times, except for those living together or belonging to the same group.
- 1.5.2 – Children’s leisure facilities in closed spaces must guarantee continuous cleaning and ensure that there is no exchange of objects between users.
- 1.5.3 – Group activities will be limited to 6 participants.
1.6 – Retail and Commercial Premises (not in Shopping Centres or Parks)
- 1.6.1 – Regardless of their useful display and sales area, establishments and retail business premises and professional services activities must reduce their total occupation to 1/3 of the normal capacity. In the case of businesses distributed over several floors, the presence of customers on each floor must maintain the same restriction. If it not possible to maintain safety distances, the occupancy inside the premises will be restricted to a single client.
- 1.6.2 – In the case of markets that carry out their activity on the public highway in the open-air or for non-sedentary activities, such as flea markets, a maximum of 50% of the normal authorized positions may be installed,(unless the available space can be increased) to ensure that safety distances can be maintained and crowding is avoided.
- 1.6.3. – The spaces used to hold these markets must be marked off with tape, barriers or other means that limits access to ensure that the limited capacity is observed. Different points for entry and exit into the enclosure may be used.
Councils must establish requirements for the distance between stalls in order to maintain a safe distance between workers, customers and pedestrians, who must use the mask at all times.
Once the sales activity has finished and all the stalls have been dismantled, the floor and surfaces of the entire enclosure where the market was held, including the entrance and exit areas, must be cleaned and disinfected.
1.7 Shopping Centres and Commercial Parks
- 1.7.1 – Shopping centres and commercial parks, including their common and recreational areas, must guarantee compliance with the following requirements:
a) The capacity in each of the establishment and commercial premises located within them will be limited to 50%.
b) Clients remain in common areas, including rest areas, except to move between commercial premises.
c) Recreational areas such as playgrounds, etc. must be closed. - 1.7.2 – The provisions given in this section will not apply to hotel and restaurant businesses that are located in these commons areas, which will be governed by the rules established for the hotel and restaurant business in this resolution.
1.8 Bars and Restaurants
- 1.8.1 – Nightclubs, dance halls, karaoke bars and cocktail bars with or without live music must remain closed. Karaoke and “sporadic or amateur singing performances” in restaurants and hotels are also suspended.
- 1.8.2 – The capacity inside the premises cannot exceed 1/3 of the licensed capacity whilst terraces are limited to 50% of the licensed capacity.
- 1.8.3 – Self-service or buffet services are prohibited.
- 1.8.4 – Collective or group consumption of drinks on the street or in public spaces outside of bars, restaurants and similar establishments is prohibited.
1.9 Hotel and Tourist Accommodation
- 1.9.1 – The common areas of hotels and tourist accommodation must not exceed 1/3 of their licensed capacity.
- 1.9.2 – For restaurant services, it will be as described in section 1.8 for provisions for the bar and restaurant industry.
- 1.9.3 – Accommodation that offers dormitory rooms cannot offer them to people belong to different coexistence groups and neither can different groups use the collective services at the same time.
1.10 Library and Archives
In libraries, both public and private, cultural and study activities may be carried provided that 50% of licensed capacity is not exceeded.
1.11 Museums, Exhibition Halls and Other Cultural Facilities
Museums, exhibition halls, of any ownership and management, monuments and other cultural facilities, can be open to the public for cultural, educational activities, conferences, workshops and concerts, either on an individual basis, to those living together, and for groups of no more than six people, so long at 50% of the authorized capacity is not exceeded for each of the rooms and enclosed spaces.
1.12 Cinemas, theatres and other venues for cultural events and outdoor shows
1.12.1 Cinemas, theatres, auditoriums, circus tents and similar closed spaces may carry out their activity with the public remaining seated and the capacity not exceeding 50% of the normal licensed occupation. Eating and drinking is prohibited inside these venues. Tickets must be numbers and seats pre-assigned with the identification of those who occupy them.
1.12.2 – In the case of venues where outdoor events and shows are held, the public must remain seated and the capacity must not exceed 50% of the normal licensed occupation.
1.13 Travelling Shows
Travelling shows in which the audience and the show move at the same time or the exchange and inclusion of the spectators in it are not permitted.
1.14 Guided Tours
Guided tours for groups numbering no more than six people can be arranged by prior appointment.
1.15 Tourist Recreational Centres, Zoos and Aquariums
Recreational resorts, zoos and aquariums may be open to the public up to 50% of the licensed capacity for both indoor and outdoor facilities.
1.16 Congresses, Meetings, Business Meetings, Conferences, and Events
- 1.16.1 Online meetings, business meetings, conferences and events are recommended.
- 1.16.2 Meetings, business meetings, conferences and events, promoted by any public or private entity, can be held in person so long as the attendance does not exceed 50% of the licensed capacity of the venue. Hotel and restaurant services are not authorized for these type of events.
- 1.16.3 The provisions of the previous point almost apply to informative workshops in the field of scientific and technical research, development and innovation, aimed at all types of the public and who objective is the learning and dissemination of contents related to R&D&i.
1.17 Gaming and Betting Venues
Activities may be carried out in casinos, establishments for collective money and gambling games, gambling halls, arcades, raffles and raffles, specific gambling venues and other premises and facilities similar to those for recreational gambling and betting activities as established by the regulations on gambling, as long as 1/3 of the authorized capacity in each of the rooms is not exceeded, in tables or groupings of tables in groups, which will be of a maximum of six people.
1.18 Recreational Swimming Pools
- 1.18.1 Swimming pools for recreational use, hotel pools, tourist accommodation pools and urbanization pools must maintain a limit of one-third of its licensed capacity for indoor pools and 50% for outdoor pools, both in terms of access and recreation swimming.
- 1.18.2 Showers and water fountains will be closed.
1.19 Academies, Driving Schools and Non-Regulated Education Centres
- 1.19.1 Online teaching is recommended, especially that aimed at vulernable people.
- 1.19.2 Face-to-face teaching is permitted, so long as the interpersonal safety distance is maintained along with hygiene and prevention measures, and that the maximum licensed capacity of the facility is not exceeded by 50%.
- 1.19.3 For driving schools, the limit of two people per row of seats and everyone must wear a facemask.
1.20 Residence Homes and Care Centres
- 1.20.1 In relation to centres for the elderly, the provisions have been laid out in the resolution of August 17th 2020 which establishes the action plan in residences of dependent elderly people, day centres, sheltered homes and the CEAM/CIM of the Comunidad Valenciana, in the context of the health crisis caused by COVID-19.
- 1.20.2 The specialized centres fo the care of the elderly (CEAM), comprehensive centres for the elderly (CIM) and similar, will follow the provisions in Phase 2 of Annex IV of said resolution, and therefore visitors will be exclusively by appointment, on an individual basis for podiatry, physiotherapy, rehabilitative therapies and hairdressing, and there will be no group activities.
1.21 Non-Professional and Non-Federated Sporting Activities
- 1.21.1 Physical activity and sport, both in sports centres and in the open air, can be carried out without physical contact in individual sports and those which are played in pairs.
- 1.21.2 People with special needs may be accompanied by a support person.
- 1.21.3 Physical activities can be carried out in groups of up to a maximum of 30 people, when carried out in open-air facilities, and up to a maximum of 20 people, when carried out in closed facilities as long as the licenced capacity is not exceeded by 1/3. There must be no physical contact and the required interpersonal distances must be maintained.
- 1.21.4 The facilities must be ventilated and interpersonal safety measures must be respected. The use of changing rooms and showers is not permitted.
1.22 Sporting Events
- 1.21.1 Sporting events, training sessions, and sporting competitions that are held in sporting facilities or on public roads must take place without the public. In addition, the public are not allowed to attend sporting events held within the framework of international professional sports competitions.
- 1.22.2 The provision of the previous section will be applied for at least as long as attendance is not allowed at national professional competitions. in accordance with the provisions of article 15.2 of the Royal Decree 21/2020 of June 8th on measures for prevention, containment and coordination to face the health crisis caused by COVID-19.
1.22 Land Transport
- 1.23.1 For public transport in vehicles of more than nine seats, including the driver, occupation of all the rear seats is permitted as well as those in the front of the vehicle except if the driver can be considered a person at risk.
- 1.23.2 In vehicles which, due to technical characteristics, only one row of seats is available, such as in the cabins of heavy vehicles, vans and similar, a maximum of two people can travel so long as the occupants are wearing face masks and they maintain the maximum possible distance between them.
- 1.23.3 In all the cases provided for in this section, the use of a face mask by all occupants in the vehicle is mandatory, except when all the occupants live together at the same address.
2 Tobacco and similar consumption
- 2.1 Smoking is prohibited on public roads, terraces, beaches and other outdoor spaces, when the minimum interpersonal distance of at least two metres cannot be maintained.
- This limitation also applies to the use of other tobacco inhalation devices, water pipes, hookahs or similar, including electronic cigarettes and vaping.
3 PCR Testing in Specific Groups
In the event of an epidemic outbreak, testing by the PCR method will be carried out in those populations at risk who have been potentially exposed.
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