Spain in English

Walking a goat or a Vietnamese pig is not allowed …

Walking a goat (Image from Mosso d'Esquadra tweet / @Mossos).

You have been warned: trying to escape the lockdown by walking a goat or a Vietnamese pig, is not only not allowed – it is very likely to land you a heavy fine.

At least this was the message tweeted by the Catalan police (the Mossos d’Esquadra) on Thursday, together with a photo of a man walking a goat, as the public was told yet again to stay home after thousands have been charged with flouting Coronavirus (Covid-19) restrictions across the whole of Spain.

‘Nor canaries, nor Vietnamese pigs, nor goats like this one we saw today in Palafrugell are an excuse to go onto the street and break the confinement,’ tweeted the Mossos.

There have also been reports of people walking with stuffed toy pets in Spain, and even with just a dog lead – pretending that their dog has escaped.

On a serious note, since the lockdown across Spain was announced last weekend, in Barcelona alone the local police had charged 2,391 people by Thursday who had been out in the city with no valid reason, whilst another 9,715 people had received an official warning. It seems to be a growing problem, as only a day earlier the total number of people charged in the city for breaking the confinement was less than a thousand.

Since the state of alarm was declared last weekend, all people in Spain are obliged to remain home as part of the restrictions to halt the spread of Coronavirus (Covid-19), and leaving the house is only allowed if it is to go shopping, to go to a pharmacy or health centre, or to the workplace in the case of essential workers, such as health professionals.

Certificate of self-responsibility

For those people who do not heed the warning, the Catalan police have set up various checkpoints to make sure that people driving on main roads have a good reason for doing so. The Coronavirus restrictions also dictate that only one person can travel in each vehicle, with fines of between 600 and 30,000 euros for breaking the rules.

Starting from Monday, Catalonia is also introducing a ‘certificate of self-responsibility’ for all journeys.

The document, which can be downloaded and filled out online, is similar to one already in use in France and intends to facilitate the job of police officers who aim to enforce lockdown orders due to the ongoing pandemic.

Click here for further details of the dos & don’ts regarding the confinement if you are in Catalonia.

Below are the numbers to call for each region of Spain for information and assistance in the event of possible cases of Coronavirus – as issued by the Spanish health authorities.

The numbers to call for each region of Spain.

Click here for further information (in Spanish) regarding Coronavirus from the Spanish Health Ministry.

Up-to-date WHO advice and facts (in English) about the Coronavirus epidemic can be found here: www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/technical-guidance.

Our previous reports on Coronavirus in Spain:

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain full update (21 March)

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain – full advice for British travellers seeking to return to the UK

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain full update (20 March)

ALSO READ: ‘This virus we will stop together’ – video 

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain full update (19 March)

ALSO READ: Despite lockdown, Spaniards applaud health workers from balconies every evening

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain – full update (18 March)

ALSO READ: UEFA Euro 2020 postponed as Coronavirus hits global sport

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain – full update (16 March)

ALSO READ: Spain to close its land borders

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain update (15 March)

ALSO READ: Spain officially in lockdown from midnight (14 March)

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain update – Spain ‘state of alarm’, Catalonia ‘lockdown’ (13 March)

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain update – 4 Catalan towns in lockdown (12 March)

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain update – 11 March

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain update – 10 March

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain update – 8 March

ALSO READ: Over 70 cases of Coronavirus in Spain, as WHO also raises risk alert

ALSO READ: Coronavirus confirmed in Tenerife and Catalonia – via Italy

ALSO READ: Two deaths from Coronavirus in northern Italy, as region faces lockdown

ALSO READ: Mobile World Congress cancelled due to Coronavirus fears

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