In light of the current healthcare crisis, regional governments around Spain have revised their rules and restrictions for the upcoming festive season, in particular for December 24th, 25th and 31st and January 1st.
With ever-rising numbers of people testing positive for COVID-19, the Basque Country and Catalonia in particular have tightened up Christmas restrictions just two days ahead of the main festivities.
One of the measures to be aware of, apart from the curfew and the restrictions on traveling outside of your own autonomous community, is the maximum number of people who can get together to celebrate Christmas - a number which varies from region to region.
Here is a summary of the limits placed on Christmas gatherings within each of the different autonomous communities:
Andalusia: non-residents are allowed into the region to visit immediate family & close friends or relatives; a maximum of 6 people are allowed at gatherings; 10 on the days mentioned above.
Aragon: travel is only permitted to visit family members, and the maximim number at any gathering is 6, rising to 10 on 24th, 25th, 31st & Jan 1st.
Castilla and León: travel is only permitted to visit family members, not friends, but 10 people can get together in any one house.
Castilla-La Mancha: on the festive days mentioned above, gatherings are limited to 10 people, and travel is permitted to visit both close friends and relatives. The curfew has been brought forward from 01:30 to 00:30.
Asturias: the regional government has reduced the number of people at any gathering over the festive period to 6.
Galicia: if the people getting together are from just two households, there is a limit of 10 people; if they are from more than two households the limit is 6 people + up to 4 children under the age of ten.
Navarra: gatherings are limited to a maximum of 10 people from 2 separate households on 24th, 25th, 31st & Jan 1st.
Valencian Community: only 6 people are allowed at any Christmas gathering.
Catalonia: unless they are all from the same household, the maximum number of people who can get together is 10, except in Cerdanya and Ripollès, where the limit is 6 people.
Community of Madrid: currently gatherings are limited to 6 people from a maximum of two households.
Murcia: travel is only permitted to visit family members, and gatherings are limited to a maximum of 6 people in general and up to 10 on 24th, 25th, 31st and 1st.
Extremadura: only get-togethers with family are allowed, not friends; gatherings on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve are limited to 10 people.
La Rioja: a maximum of two households are allowed to get together, and no more than 10 people at one time.
Basque Country: no gatherings in general can exceed the 6-person limit, whilst on the festive days, up to 10 people will be allowed to get together, except on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, when this limit has just been cut to 6.
Balearic Islands: in Mallorca no more than 6 people from two separate households can get together, whereas in Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera there is a 10-person limit for any gathering.
Canary Islands: gatherings in general are limited to 6 people, extended to 10 close friends or relatives on 24th, 25th, 31st and 1st.
Cantabria: in this regio, get-togethers are limited to a maximum of 6 people, except on 24th, 25th, 31st and 1st, when up to 10 people are allowed.
Melilla: there can be no more than 4 people at any gathering 4, except on festive days, when up to 10 people can get together.
Ceuta: as in Melilla, gatherings are limited to 4 people, except on the days mentioned above, when there can be up to 10 people together.
The firsts vaccine against Covid-19 in Spain will be administered in the province of Guadalajara on Sunday. The vaccine created by Pfizer and BioNTech is expected to be given to an elderly gentleman in a retirement home and a care worker in the same establishment.
