Daily updates

Further to the above, the DOGV has now been published.
Only the cancellation of the need for a covid passport and the limitation at tables have been published.

All other restrictions on facemasks indoors, on public transport, at transport stations, in private cars where the passengers are not from the same household remain. Only those with respiratory problems, where the person cannot remove the facemask due to disability or those with underlying conditions which makes the wearing of the facemask impracticable will be exempt and must have a signed document from the doctor treating the condition saying this.

The need for hand gel at stores will still be required.

The personal distance of 1.5m is to be maintained, including in parks and on beaches, but smoking outdoors (by any means including vaping) must have a guaranteed distance of 2m.

Outdoor mass events where people are standing will require the use of the facemask and, if seated, if the distance of 1.5m cannot be guaranteed.

The DOGV is at this link if you need anything cleared up.

DOGV Covid restrictions
The same conditions apply in Murcia as well and they cancelled all such restrictions last week.

With the rapid downturn in recorded cases in Spain, overall at just over 200 per 100,000 in the last 7 days, the Madrid Region government proposed the necessity to wear facemasks indoors be scrapped.

This was rejected and pointed out that, in some regions, the case rate is still as high as 1,000 per 100,000 (Valencia Region at 1,430 in the last 14 days and decreased to 420 over the last 7 days) and Catalonia reported 73 deaths today. The 7 day rate is the best indicator on the way cases are heading which, thankfully, is downward.

The point was also made that, with the upcoming festivals in many regions and the Easter break, more people will be meeting up in groups and this could lead to a surge in cases. It was decided to keep the wearing of facemasks indoors and on public transport for the time being but would be looked at after the Easter break.

Yes just one more step and it's done. Good to have the Vaccine Certs gone for restaurants and bars etc. Page 91 at the moment for this thread. Will it require the 100 before it's done

Bee

Apart from facemasks indoors, most of Spain has now lifted all restrictions due to covid.

Only 3 regions maintain certain restrictions.

Valencia Region has extended the use of the covid vaccination certificate to enter residential homes until the 16th March.

Galicia maintains the use of the covid certificate for visits to hospitals and residential homes and still has a limitation on the number at tables in hostelry establishments.

Canary Islands has various restrictions on opening hours and capacity in certain areas.

All other regions have cancelled restrictions except for service and drinking at the bar but Madrid has cancelled that last one provided a 1.5m distance can be maintained.

Cases dropping in virtually every region. The Balearic Islands has seen a drop from over 3,000 per 100,000 a month ago to just 500 per 100,000 at the moment. The only restrictions they maintain are the indoor mask and adequate ventilation to be provided.

La Rioja was one of the last regions to remove the vaccine certificate restrictions but that will end from midnight tonight.

A meeting today will discuss the self isolation period required and will probably drop the rule that you need to self isolate if you have come into contact with an infected person. The need to self isolate if you have tested positive will probably remain.

Madrid Region has, again, proposed the removal of the facemask indoors but has again been rebuffed and it will be looked at again after the Easter break. The Family Doctors and General Practitioners council has warned against removing all restrictions and points to the increases in Denmark and UK since restrictions were dropped (I was unaware UK cases had risen and not sure they've got that right).

Almost back to normal, folks.

Yes, since the UK dropped restrictions, figures have continued to fall. So they have that wrong.

I thought there was another meeting last Thursday regarding the possible removal of masks indoors.
Did anything come from that meeting?

The end of the mandatory use of masks indoors "is getting closer" . This is how the Minister of Health, Carolina Darias, expressed herself before the requests of different autonomous communities in the last meeting of the Interterritorial Health Council, in which they demanded the flexibility of the use of face masks in the face of the positive evolution of the coronavirus pandemic .

In an intermediate position, in order to follow the roadmap planned by the Government of Spain , is the Generalitat Valenciana. The executive led by the socialist Ximo Puig is in favor of “advancing with caution” , but is in no hurry to advance the deadlines so that the mask is no longer mandatory in certain closed spaces.


Thus, despite pressure from different regional governments, as is the case in Madrid, Catalonia and Andalusia, the central government does not plan to step on the accelerator to remove the face mask until there is an agreement on "how", despite the fact that President Pedro Sánchez himself confirmed that it would be eliminated “very soon”.

“We have to agree not only on when, but also on how . When that occurs, we will make it known, "explained Darias after the meeting with the councilors of the different autonomous communities and cities.

As defended by the Valencian Ximo Puig, the rest of the regional presidents base the decision on the criteria of epidemiologists , who point out that the mask could be removed indoors when there is an accumulated incidence of less than fifty cases for each fourteen days. one hundred thousand inhabitants.

According to data from the Ministry of Health, the national incidence currently stands at 430 cases, while the data for the Valencian Community drops to 323 points , in both cases, at high risk of spreading Covid-19 .

At a meeting over the weekend of the regional presidents in the Balearic Islands, the government stated that they will be reducing IVA on goods affected by the war in Ukraine.

The first is to reduce the IVA on fuel, gas and basic foods. Currently electricity has the IVA reduced to 10% and, although no further details were given, this could apply to petrol and diesel as well as gas prices.
The EU brought in a rule a while ago that gas and electricity prices should be set to the same level but the Spanish government has said it will meet with the EU in the next few days to remove this and electric supply prices should be allowed to drop.

Other countries have done similar. France has reduced petrol and diesel by 15 cents a litre as from April 1st and Poland has reduced the IVA on all fuels and basic food prices.

50% of the price of fuel and electricity in Spain is taxes so there is room to reduce this.
Taxes on the transport sector will also be reduced to alleviated the costs of getting stuff to the supermarkets.

No dates or figures have been specified but the government has said it will be meeting shortly and will adjust prices downwards, especially on items most affected by the war in Ukraine. It was pointed out the main reason for increased prices in shops is due to the cost of delivery and transport as the producers have complained they are not getting more for their goods but the prices in supermarkets are rising quite considerably.

Currently, a reduced rate of 4% is applied to foods considered essential such as bread, eggs, fruit, cheese, rice etc.

They will also be considering a further cap on profits made by the fuel suppliers which already applies to the electricity sector. In October last year, electric companies were made to cap profits to 4% instead of the 28% that was being talked about.

Good news thanks Marcliff. I certainly hope they reduce the IVA on natural gas as we were encouraged to install it but whilst the cost per kWh has doubled since 15 January the IVA has not been reduced along with electricity

Bought a gas bottle from the garage in Quesada just through the arches, the girl said just in time tomorrow up by 1 €