Restrictions were put in place in the Valencia Region and have been extended until Monday 19th but could be extended further.
Flying into Alicante (or anywhere in Spain) and you have to complete a contact form to say where you have been and where you will be staying. Your temperature will be checked (or should be) on arrival and a visual check should also be made.
However ,the restrictions aren't all that bad. You have to wear a face mask everywhere, even out on the street and can only take them off when seated at a table in a restaurant but you must put them on if you leave the table for any reason.
Bars, discos, karaoke and nightlife are closed until the 19th October. Only bars and restaurants serving food can open and you can only enter up until midnight. All customers have to leave by 1 am.
All hotels, restaurants, beach bars etc must have a 1.5 m distance between tables and must not exceed 10 people per table.
It is only recommended that family groups of 10 or less can gather except in Valencia City where it is mandatory. Other parts of Spain have reduced it to 6.
No smoking allowed, even on the streets, unless a distance of 2m can be maintained. This includes all things like vapes, hookah pipes or anything that emits vapour or smoke.
Apart from that, and restrictions on visits to residential homes, not a lot. Everything seems to be going normal. All shops are open with hand sanitizers on entry. Shops are supposed to be restricted to 75% or capacity and some of the smaller ones have signs up saying no more than 2 people at any one time.
Hairdressers, beauty salons, nail bars and so on all open as normal. Our barber has 2 seats outside for people to wait if someone is already inside.
People seem to be taking it seriously although you will get the odd one who thinks the restrictions don't apply to them as is the same everywhere.
The Valencia region has the second lowest number of cases (after the Canary Islands) in the whole of Spain but the big cities seem to be the worst affected.
Life does appear normal except people keep their distance and wear facemasks in this area.
**STOP PRESS**#
It's just been announced that extra restrictions have been put in place in Elche and Orihuela due to a spike in cases.
Barceló has announced thatthe number of people who can meet in public and private spaces will be limited to six. In addition,the capacity of hotels, commerce and public spaces will be limited to 50% of capacityand there will be restrictive measures in wakes, burials, places of worship and ceremonies. These restrictions are adopted for 14 days and then the situation of the virus in these cities will be evaluated. In addition, it has also announced thatthe restrictions onnightlife are extended by 21 days .The restrictions in Orihuela will be for all areas except Orihuela Costa and Torremendo.The Minister of Health, Ana Barceló, has specified that the measures, which will be included in a resolution with 22 measures that will be published this afternoon and will come into effect from midnight , are based on limiting the number of people in any group or meeting of a family or social nature, as well as the capacity for cultural or recreational activities .
Barceló has specified that in these municipalities there will be no confinement, and the mayors of the same are informed and have shown their willingness to comply with the new additional measures.
Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2020 1:19 pm