Daily updates

The decision on a curfew in Valencia Region is still being studied by the courts. Madrid has declared a "night time restriction" from midnight to 0600. Restaurants must close at midnight and no service or entry allowed after 2300 so that brings it forward an hour. Capacity is reduced to 50% indoors in all establishments and the social distance between tables increased to 2 metres. No more than 6 people at a table indoors and 10 outdoors which are now compulsory and not recommended.

The Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, has asked everyone to limit their mobility and to curtail social gatherings especially with Halloween coming up.

The Valencian President, Ximo Puig, is expected to announce a curfew either this afternoon or tomorrow but has also asked for social gatherings to be restricted to immediate family. The Vice President, Monica Oltra, has said that the Spanish are a very family orientated race but family meetings are not a vaccine and limiting the meetings does not make us safe. We should avoid any such gatherings as much as possible as the majority of new cases in the region begin with family or social groupings. She described the increase in cases, hospitalisations, ICU admittances and deaths as a very serious threat which we should all try and avoid.

Movement between areas may also be restricted again. The curfew, expected to be between midnight and 0600, will apply to everyone except those going to or returning from work, looking after vulnerable dependants or for medical emergencies.

The Spanish Minister of Health, Salvador Illa, has been asked to look into the curfew being nationwide and several autonomous communities, Valencia included, have said they will impose the curfew even without a nationwide state of alarm if the Supreme Courts in the communities decide it is legal and will not effect the basic human rights of its citizens.

The VP of Valencia has also stated that, even if the central government does not decree a state of alarm, then they would have no problem in declaring a local state of alarm if necessary to impose the curfew.

They are also looking into further restrictions such as limiting the number that can socialise both in public spaces and in private areas, the restriction to establishment opening times and limiting mobility between areas except for socio-economic reasons (that means you can go shopping in another area but not stay there).

Since the October "bridge" (the local holidays at the beginning of the month) cases in this region have increased 45%, hospitalisations by 97% and ICU admittance by 65%. 7 out of 10 of the outbreaks have started in social and family gatherings and the aim of the curfew and other restrictions is to limit social gatherings, bottles (the mass of people who take the party out into the streets or the beach when the bars have closed) and private parties.

There were over 1,000 new cases in 49 outbreaks and 10 deaths recorded yesterday. Almost 80% of the new infections are under the age of 65. Nearly 3,000 fines have been issued in Valencia City alone for gathering in groups without face masks.

The Consell (Valencia gov) assures us that it is no possible to wait for the situation to worsen before imposing restrictions to protect the health of the citizenry and they say the actions are taken on scientific and not political criteria.

More to come.

marcliff wrote:The Consell (Valencia gov) assures us that it is no possible to wait for the situation to worsen before imposing restrictions to protect the health of the citizenry and they say the actions are taken on scientific and not political criteria.

Thanks for this update. Due to my limited grasp of the language, it is difficult to find out about the latest developments and changes.

I do have to laugh at the statement that the actions taken are based on scientific criteria. Like where is the scientific evidence that the virus is more prevalent between the hours of 12:00am - 06:00am? Or that being in a bar with 10 people is dangerous now but it won't be with 6 people. I think they're making it all up as they go along.

I am still yet to hear of a single confirmed case since this whole thing started. It baffles me the amount of liberties being taken away, and the regional governments can pass any law they like at a moments notice but when it comes to passing laws that are actually any good for people (like illegal squatters etc) take years to go through the courts.

We live in a strange world.

It does not state that the virus is more prevalent between 12 and 6 - what is trying to do is reduce social gatherings where people let their guard down e.g. due to excessive alcohol- get real!!

zeff wrote:It does not state that the virus is more prevalent between 12 and 6 - what is trying to do is reduce social gatherings where people let their guard down e.g. due to excessive alcohol- get real!!

So people don't get drunk and let their guard down at any other time of day?

And what bars are open till 6am anyway? They already have to close at 1am.

Most people i know, drink in the day time.

Puma wrote:

zeff wrote:It does not state that the virus is more prevalent between 12 and 6 - what is trying to do is reduce social gatherings where people let their guard down e.g. due to excessive alcohol- get real!!

So people don't get drunk and let their guard down at any other time of day?

And what bars are open till 6am anyway? They already have to close at 1am.

Most people i know, drink in the day time.

I don't think this is about bars staying open. In the cities and maybe other places, kids are taking bottles and cans of booze to parks and open spaces to continue their drinking through the night.

It cannot be denied that the virus spreads in groups... if you reduce the groups it reduces the spread.

I don't think that is too hard to understand.

..

The fact remains that you cannot stop the virus and all that restrictions do is temporarily slow its spread.
As soon as restrictions are eased, cases will go up and spread again.
All of the science suggests this, so the benifit of lockdowns is only a short term thing with limited long term value.
People will die, its a sad fact but life must go on.

MichaelC wrote:
People will die, its a sad fact but life must go on.

Yep, you are correct.. growing old is a terminal disease..

But it would nice to give older people (and vulnerable people) a little longer, don't you think?

.

Thanks for the update Marcliff, shame people are using your post to moan and put thier views on it.

Please people go somewhere else to post your views and leave this post soley for updates.