Sevilla city and 32 towns in province reopen their borders this weekend

AHEAD of formal announcements tomorrow (Friday) about enclosures and reopenings for the weekend, Andalucía regional government has revealed large swathes of the province of Sevilla will see their restrictions relaxed.

The city of Sevilla and another 32 towns and villages in the province will cease to be 'confined' and their borders reopened from Saturday now that their contagion rates have fallen below 500 per 100,000 inhabitants, or 0.5% of the population.

Two other municipalities – Los Corrales and El Viso del Alcor – have now reported rates of fewer than 1,000 per 100,000 residents, or 1% of their headcount, meaning from Saturday, non-essential trade can recommence.

The only town in the province which will increase restrictions is Villanueva del Ariscal, which has risen to 546.2 cases per 100,000, or 0.5462% of the population, in the past two weeks.

Restrictions or their easing will now be announced in Andalucía every week rather than every fortnight, but for now, early bar closures, and a ban on selling alcohol after 18.00 to prevent street-drinking gatherings after the bars shut, will remain in place.

As well as Sevilla city, the towns which have a contagion rate of lower than 0.5% and which will now reopen their borders – meaning residents can go outside them and non-residents can enter them – are listed as Almensilla, Badolatosa, Benacazón, Burguillos, Casariche, Castilleja de la Cuesta, Cazalla de la Sierra, El Cuervo, Espartinas, Estepa, Gilena, Herrera, Lantejuela, Lebrija, Lora de Estepa, Mairena del Aljarafe, Marchena, Martín de la Jara, Las Navas de la Concepción, Olivares, Osuna, El Palmar de Troya, Palomares del Río, Pedrera, Pilas, Pruna, La Puebla de Cazalla, La Puebla de los Infantes, Salteras, San Nicolás del Puerto, Tocina, and the site of the famous Itálica Roman settlement, Santiponce.