How does this new state of alert for the coronavirus in Spain work and what is the curfew?

Spain has already experienced a second state of alarm. After the application in mid-March 2020 and several extensions approved by the Congress of Deputies leading to a full quarter quarantine, a new one came.

This was announced last Sunday, October 25 by Pedro Sánchez, President of the Government, who outlined the main points of a proposal that It applies until May 9. The BOE, published on Sunday, October 25, settles everything previously explained by the president of the government. READ THE BOE . HERE

Curfew: how it is applied?

The government approves its application to all of Spain, with the exception of the Canary Islands, and will generally regulate it between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. However, Sánchez clarifies that: “It will be the Autonomous Communities that regulate the time slot”. “For example, it could be brought forward (from 22:00, such as Castilla y León) or from 00:00 to 05:00 or 07:00.”

EXCEPTIONS: In the period between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., people are only allowed to circulate on the roads or public areas for the purpose of performing the following activities:

• a) Purchase of medicines, health products and other essential goods.
• b) Assistance to health centers, services and institutions.
• c) Assistance to veterinary care centers for urgent reasons.
• d) Compliance with employment, professional, business, institutional or legal obligations.
• e) Return to habitual residence after performing some of the activities provided for in this section.
• f) Assistance and care for the elderly, minors, dependents, people with disabilities or particularly vulnerable people.
• g) Due to force majeure or a situation of necessity.
• h) Any other activity of a similar nature, duly recognised.
• i) Refueling at petrol stations or petrol stations, if necessary for carrying out the activities mentioned in the previous paragraphs.

Sanchez explains that “meetings are limited to six people, except in the case of cohabitants” while asking for trips to be kept to the bare minimum.

Restriction of movement between communities

He explained that “The Communities may decide to restrict entry and exit from their territory. From the community or from a lower territorial area. There will also be exceptions, such as health reasons or fulfilling work obligations.”

Entry and exit from the territory of any Autonomous Community and any city with a statute of autonomy is restricted, except for those journeys, duly justified, which take place for one of the following reasons:

EXCEPTIONS:

• a) Assistance to health centers, services and institutions.
• b) Compliance with employment, professional, business, institutional or legal obligations.
• c) Assistance to university, teaching and educational centers, including kindergartens.
• d) Return to normal or family home.
• e) Assistance and care for the elderly, minors, dependents, people with disabilities or particularly vulnerable people.
• f) Relocation to financial and insurance entities or service stations in adjacent areas.
• g) Required or urgent actions for public, judicial or notarial authorities.
• h) Renewal of licenses and official documentation, as well as other urgent administrative procedures.
• i) Exams or official tests that cannot be postponed.
• j) Due to force majeure or a situation of necessity.
• k) Any other activity of a similar nature, duly accredited

2. Without prejudice to the provisions of the previous section, the corresponding delegated competent authority may, in addition, restrict the entry and exit of persons into territorial areas of a geographical nature lower than the autonomous community and city with the status of autonomy, with the exceptions provided for in the previous section. 3. Traffic in transit through territorial areas is not subject to any restrictions.

Until when will it be applied

The Prime Minister stated that “It is the administration’s intent to apply the state of alert until May 9 if Congress approves it.” To do this, it requires the consensus of all parliamentary groups to allow this regulation, which is governed by the Constitution, to be reviewed every 15 days. However, Sánchez clarifies that “if the situation improves, it will be adjusted.

For the time being and subject to approval by the Cortes Generales, “the state of alert promulgated by this Royal Decree will end at 00:00 on November 9, 2020, without prejudice to any extensions.”

Four alarm levels

Sánchez explained that “four levels of risk were defined for each territorial unit. With them, a kind of traffic light is defined. The first indicator is the number of cases detected per 100,000 inhabitants in the past 14 days.