Regions raise drawbridges

REGIONAL governments around Spain have not hesitated to make use of the state of emergency by implementing various restrictions.

These include prohibiting entering or leaving across regional borders without proper justification, such as for work, medical or legal purposes, or due to force majeure.

This was first applied in Aragón, the Basque country, Navarra, La Rioja and Asturias, while Ceuta just closed its borders on weekends.

Murcia waited until Wednesday evening to announce it would be doing the same, but also banning travel between municipalities within the region, which came into effect at 00.01 today ( Friday) and will last at least until November 9.

Hostelry establishments can only serve customers on terraces and outdoors in Murcia’s municipalities with particularly high infection rates: Abanilla, Archena, Beniel, Bullas,

Ceutí, Cieza, Fortuna, Lorquí, Torre Pacheco and Totana. In Murcia and Cartagena all cultural and recreational spaces must close at 22.00.

This applies for the next 14 days and will be revised every seven days according to the epidemiological situation in each municipality.

The regional presidents of Madrid, Castilla y Leon and Castilla La Mancha met on Wednesday but while the latter two agreed to close their borders, the capital took a defiant approach again.

Madrid president Isabel Díaz Ayuso asked the government to let them close just for certain days or not at all.

Although this was refused, she nevertheless announced on Thursday that she would only restrict travel in or out of the region over this bank holiday weekend and the regional one from November 79.

The region is maintaining restrictions on movement in 32 areas, which are divided beBy tween 12 municipalities and nine districts of Madrid city.

The Basque Country also prohibited travel between municipalities within the region, while Aragón closed the borders of Zaragoza, Huesca and Teruel, and Asturias confined Gijón, Oviedo and Avilés.

While most regional authorities applied the state curfew hours of 23.00 until 06.00, Cataluña, Castilla y León, La Rioja and Melilla brought it forward to 22.00, while Madrid, Valencia, Extremadura, Asturias and Cantabria allow people to be out until midnight.

Navarra has the worst infection rate in the country – 1,102 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the 14 days before Tuesday. Hostelry businesses and shops there must close by 21.00 and only people who live together can meet in private spaces.

Cataluña closed all hostelry establishments in midOctober, shops must close at 21.00 and theatres, cinemas, etc. at 22.00.