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What would the de-escalation phase be like in Spain?
(CNN Spanish) - The transition of Spain towards the "new normal" after the covid-19 will take place gradually, asymmetrically in the territory and in four different phases, announced on Tuesday the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez.
Sánchez assured that this transition plan will have a minimum duration of six weeks, or eight in the worst case, with which he projected that "at the end of June we will be in the new normal if the epidemic is controlled in each of the territories "
The plan will come into effect on Monday May 4, when all Spanish regions enter phase zero (except the Balearic island of Formentera and the Canary Islands of La Gomera, La Graciosa and El Hierro, which will go directly to phase one) .
Phase one will be to prepare for the release of the restrictions implemented by the government, and will begin with the reopening of small segments of economic activity such as restaurants, although they will only be allowed to open for customers to pick up food to take home.
On Monday, May 11, all the territorial units of the country that show a good epidemiological evolution will enter phase 1, which will allow the opening of small businesses under strict security conditions.
In the restaurant sector, the opening of terraces with an occupancy limitation of 30% will be allowed. In the hospitality industry, the opening of hotels and tourist accommodation will be allowed, with the exclusion of their common areas. In the opening of premises of phase one, a preferential schedule will be provided for those over 65 years of age.
After 15 days of this second phase and as considered by the Ministry of Health, the selected provinces will pass to phase 2, considered the intermediate phase.
In this phase, restaurant premises will be allowed to open their interior space on the condition that they limit the occupancy of their capacity to 30%.
The educational centers, which will not resume their activity until September, will only open in this phase to carry out reinforcement activities, so that children under 6 can attend in the event that both parents have to work in person, or select.
Activity will also be resumed in cinemas, theaters and auditoriums with a pre-assigned seat and limiting its capacity to one third. Cultural acts and shows of less than 50 people may be held in closed places with a third of the capacity; and if it is outdoors they will be possible when they gather less than 400 people, as long as they are seated. Places of worship must limit their capacity to 50%.
In phase 3, the last one before entering the “new normal”, general mobility will be made more flexible, although the recommendation for the use of the mask will be maintained extensively.
In the commercial sphere, the capacity of the premises will be limited to 50%, and a minimum distance of two meters between people will be set.
In the activity linked to restaurants, the capacity measures will be relaxed but the strict separation measures between the public will continue to be in force.
Each phase will have a minimum duration of 15 days, and the provinces will only advance from one to the other as they comply with a system of four markers, defined territorially by the strategic capabilities of the health system, the situation of the pandemic in place, as implemented collective protection measures and according to mobility as well as socioeconomic data.