Spain enters recovery 'Phase 0': What it means for the public and traders

 

THE WHOLE of Spain has now been on 'Phase 0' of its lockdown 'unwinding' process for 24 hours – except the Balearic island of Formentera and those of La Gomera, La Graciosa and El Hierro in the Canaries, which went straight to 'Phase 1' – and it is hoped that complete normality will be restored within eight weeks, or by the end of June.

Spain's national government has released details of what is permitted, and the conditions required before any individual region moves forward to the next phase.

Each of the country's 17 autonomously-governed regions, plus its two 'autonomous cities' of Ceuta and Melilla on the northern Moroccan coast, will be required to report to the national health authority with its recommendations, also mentioning any business, leisure or social activities omitted from the guidelines, and its application to switch to a new phase, be it a more lenient one or even to go back a step in the worst case scenario, will be considered.

Requisites for moving forward to 'Phase 1' include guaranteeing either the existing availability of at least 1.5 to two beds in intensive care per 10,000 inhabitants, or the capacity to make these available immediately if needed, within a maximum of five days.

Also, for every 10,000 inhabitants, regional governments must ensure that they either already have, or would have straight away if the need arose, between 47 and 50 beds for acute but non-critical patients.

At least one video-conference meeting will need to be held between the ministry of health and the regional health authority in question.

The latter are not permitted to reduce the numbers of healthcare staff – doctors, nurses and auxiliaries – from those who were active as at March 27, and will be expected to organise and distribute human resources according to where they are needed.

To move to a more 'relaxed' phase of recovery at the beginning of a given week, regional governments need to request this by the Thursday before.

It is expected that most of the country will be able to advance to 'Phase 1' from Monday, May 11, but this is not guaranteed.

 

Public transport, including taxis

All passengers on public transport, as well as their drivers, are obliged to wear masks, which are gradually being delivered to residents nationwide, starting with distribution on the actual transport networks and to carers, key workers and those most at risk.

Travellers, and any staff who have contact with other people, must have hand-sanitiser dispensers available, and use them.

Vehicles with nine seats or fewer cannot transport more than two people per row, and then only if passengers are able to keep a safe distance between themselves.

Only half of all bus and train seats can be occupied, with the row immediately behind the driver left empty, and on transport where passengers have to stand – such as on city metro lines where every second seat is already taken up – no more than one person is allowed per square metre of floor space.

 

Shops and small businesses

Retailers with premises of less than 400 square metres in size were permitted to open from yesterday – including hairdressing salons, opticians', and similar establishments.

Customers may only enter by prior appointment, and each staff member is limited to dealing with just one member of the public at a time, keeping a minimum of two metres apart from all other clients.

Where this distancing is not possible due to limited space, both the staff member and customer must wear a mask.

All establishments are obliged to set aside a 'priority' time slot for customers aged 65 and over, which must be within their 'walking hours' of 10.00 to noon and 19.00 to 20.00.

This 'walking' time slot is in fact applicable to the over-70s, but younger adults are not precluded from being out of the house during these hours – particularly as many supermarkets currently shut at 19.00.

Disinfecting premises twice-daily is mandatory, and work uniforms or outer clothing washed every day.

In the case of clothes shops, changing rooms must be cleaned after every customer and any garments tried on but not purchased are required to be disinfected before being put back on sale.

Members of the public cannot use the toilets in any business premises, except in cases of 'urgent need'.

 

Takeaway food

Bars and restaurants are gradually starting to pin up signs advising customers they will be reopening from next Monday (May 11), although many have managed to continue trading during lockdown by offering home deliveries – even takeaway coffee, in some cases.

Customers are now allowed to pick up their food themselves, although as yet, they cannot remain on the premises to eat it.

These establishments will have to set up screens separating employees from members of the public, and ensure an 'approximate' distance of two metres between them, according to the State health authority.

Again, the employee-to-customer ratio should remain as one to one.

 

Property renovations

Uninhabited residential properties, or business premises which are closed, can now be renovated or have minor works carried out in them, even those which are not considered 'emergency' or even 'necessary'. Contractors are obliged to avoid contact with the public whilst working on them, including anyone living nearby.

Workers' movements, and shifting tools or parts, are limited to communal parts in the case of jobs being carried out on urbanisations, unoccupied apartments, or office blocks, where other dwellers or traders may be in the same building.

Unavoidable exceptions include where a contractor has to enter a privately-owned or occupied part of a building for brief, one-off periods to make essential connections, such as when working on water or drainage pipes or on the electricity network.

 

Individual private transport

The one-person-per-car rule – later relaxed to allow one person in the back seat, provided both were members of the same household or the passenger was considered 'dependant' – has now become less restrictive: Vehicles with fewer than nine passenger seats, covering standard family saloon cars and people-carriers, can transport a maximum of two people per row.

For a family car, this means one in the front passenger seat and no more than two in the back, provided all parties are able to keep as far apart as possible.

Driver and passengers are required to wear masks, even if they all live in the same house.

 

Professional sports

Spain's National Sports Council (CSD) successfully appealed to the ministry of health for professionals to be allowed to return to training in the open air, subject to doing so alone, and within the same province in which they live.

Paid sportspersons who take part in adapted activities, including those described by the ministry as 'Paralympic-style', may have one companion, another sportsperson, with them.

All professionals are permitted to have a trainer with them – in addition to their companion if they take part in adapted sports – but who must remain at least two metres apart from their 'pupil' and wear a mask.

The minimum distance, in the case of bicycles, skateboards, or similar, increases to 10 metres.

 

Amateur sports

Covering everyone from members of the general public going out for a run or a bike ride just for fun through to unpaid, affiliated sportspersons, those who fall into this category may not bring a trainer or coach with them, and the times they may go out are limited.

They may go out up to twice a day, but only between 06.00 and 10.00 in the morning or from 20.00 to 23.00 at night.

No official time limits are in place within these slots – in theory, training or exercising can be for a full four hours in the open air in the morning and three hours in the evening – but must be within the boundaries of the town the person lives in.

These same time slots apply for adults under 70 and teenagers aged 14 and over for going out for walks not linked to any 'essential errands' such as food-buying or pharmacy visits.

When going out for a walk just to get some light exercise, fresh air, or both, the maximum distance permitted is one kilometre from the person's current residence.

For amateur sports, running, bike-riding or even just strolling around the streets, a person can have one companion only, who must be a member of the same household aged at least 14 but under 70.

 

Visiting family and friends

This is not currently permitted, but will finally be allowed when 'Phase 1' starts, either in the street or in a private home, with a maximum of 10 people present – none of whom can be in one of the Covid-10 'high-risk' groups.

The ministry of health defines 'high-risk' as those with pre-existing health conditions, those displaying symptoms consistent with Covid-19, and 'seniors' – but it is not entirely clear whether the latter only excludes the 'elderly', as in, those in their 80s and above; whether it also covers those defined as 'middle-aged', as in, over 65 but under 80; or whether it even excludes those aged 60 or more.

It is expected that more information will be released nearer Monday, or later if the majority of the country is not yet ready to enter 'Phase 1'.

Irrespective of phases, anyone displaying Covid-19 symptoms, confirmed or not, is not allowed to leave home unless it is to travel to hospital or any other medical facility, and anyone who has had the condition and is either still in the post-cure 14-day quarantine period or has not yet been confirmed virus-free is banned from going out, even for 'necessary errands' such as supermarket shopping.