Covid-19 restrictions tightened in some parts of Spain

As New Year's Eve draws closer and in the light of rising numbers of positive cases of coronavirus, some areas of Spain have tightened their Covid-19 restrictions.

In the Balearic Islands, authorities have decided to keep the 10pm curfew for another fortnight. In Mallorca, the outdoor seating areas of bars and restaurants will have to close at 6pm from today onwards and indoor shopping malls are going to be closed at weekends and on bank holidays. Family get-togethers are limited to a maximum of six people, except in open-air spaces in Ibiza where a maximum of 10 people are allowed.

Authorities in Madrid have restricted movement until January 11th in a further four healthcare regions, and people will not be able to enter or leave these areas without just cause. This makes a total of 10 healthcare regions effectively under lockdown in the capital.

In Catalonia, despite the rising numbers of Covid-19 cases and the increasing pressure on hospital beds, authorities have not tightened restrictions, but have extended them for a further 14 days.

Regional authorities in Extremadura have brought closing times forward for bars and restaurants on New Year's Eve (between 18h and 20h) and have extended the restriction to January 1st, 2nd, 5th and 6th. A maximum of 10 people are allowed at family get-togethers. The curfew has been extended to 00:30 on New Year's Eve to allow people to have the traditional grapes with their relatives and then return home.

In Cantabria, the curfew has been brought forward an hour to 00:30 and the number of people who can gather for a celebratory meal has been reduced to six, four fewer than on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.