Spain considers closing the interiors of bars and restaurants at 11pm if Covid rates keep climbing

The proposal, as health sources have confirmed to Europa Press, would be activated when the coronavirus cumulative incidence rate of 100 cases per 100,000 inhabitants is exceeded and there is considerable healthcare pressure in hospitals and on intensive care unit beds.

“It is about giving more relevance to the hospital situation in the evolution of the pandemic. The key point is the hospital issue, because right now the majority of infections occur in children under 11 years of age, who do not go to the hospital ", explain the sources, who specify that it is "practically "the same 'traffic light' of measures which was debated in the Commission last week, although an agreement was not finally reached.

The document that will be considered today, proposed by the Alerts Report committee, also includes the proposal to close the nightlife at 1am, and always insist on dancing with a mask. In hospitality establishments, such as restaurants, bars or cafeterias, the maximum occupancy of tables would also be restricted to 10 people or 50 per cent of the capacity in indoor areas.

In the case of high risk, when there is an incidence rate above 300 and the healthcare pressure is even higher, the proposal to be debated states that the interiors of the hospitality industry would not be closed, but could open at 25 per cent capacity, with six people per table but closing at 11pm. At extreme risk, with an incidence rate above 500, the interior of the hospitality business would be closed.

Currently Spain is in the medium risk bracket in terms of the cumulative 14-day incidence rate, since it is above 100, but it would not meet the parameters in terms of hospital occupancy, which still stands at 2.33 per cent in the case of hospital beds and 5.70 per cent in intensive care units.