19th March 2024
Antoine Julien (Unsplash)
Barcelona News Catalonia News Madrid News Main News

Health Ministry to now allow each region to decide its nightlife measures

Latest: Coronavirus in Spain figures (18 June)

#UPDATE 9 June – Spain’s Health Ministry has finally backtracked on mandatory common rules for nightlife, bars and restaurants across Spain during the de-escalation of restrictions, and each region will now be responsible for imposing its own measures, as required. There will be ‘recommendations’ from the central health ministry but not mandatory rules.

The State of Alarm in Spain ended on 9 May. Each region currently still has measures and restrictions in place, and you can find all the details in our separate report, which is currently being updatedDetails of restrictions for all regions of Spain, now ‘State of Alarm’ has ended

Spain’s Health Ministry and the country’s regional health authorities had originally approved a new document of ‘Declaration of Coordinated Actions Against Covid-19’ last week, which included common ‘de-escalation criteria’ for nightlife opening hours and capacity at establishments. The measures were to be mandatory until 70% of the Spanish population are fully vaccinated – as well as all those aged over 50 are fully vaccinated.

The agreement was made at an Inter-territorial Council of the National Health System last Wednesday, during which a traffic light system with alert levels and restrictive measures was agreed upon, with mandatory rules.

Most establishments across Spain (mainly bars and restaurants), were to be able to remain open until 1am under the agreement, although in some cases not being able to serve after midnight. Music bars, nightclubs and discos, however, were to be able to remain open until 2am, extended until 3am in areas where the incidence rate is low risk. Music bars and nightclubs across Spain have officially been closed since 14 August 2020.

Under the new agreement the maximum time that nightclubs were to be able to remain open was until 3am and with a maximum of 10 people per table, even on terraces – and even in the best of epidemiological scenarios. 

Antoine Julien (Unsplash)
Antoine Julien (Unsplash)

Five regions had voted against the new agreement, those governed by the People’s Party (PP), including Madrid, Andalusia and Galicia, with Catalonia and the Basque Country abstaining. Madrid had since taken the issue to the courts. The Health Ministry led by Carolina Darias has now determined that each region will now be responsible for imposing its own measures, as required.

Click here for all previous reports on: Coronavirus in Spain

Sign up for the FREE Weekly Newsletter from Spain in English.

Please support Spain in English with a donation.

Click here to get your business activity or services listed on our DIRECTORY.

Click here for further details on how to ADVERTISE with us.

Recent Posts

Prison staff continue protests in Catalonia after colleague killed

News Desk

Spanish police arrest 3 over deaths of 5 migrants forced out of smugglers’ boat

News Desk

Real Madrid asks Spanish prosecutors to investigate more racist chants at Vinícius

News Desk

Controversial Amnesty Law passed in Congress, will now proceed to Senate

News Desk

Catalan president dissolves parliament and calls for early election on 12 May

News Desk

Spanish police dismantle burglary gang that targeted footballers’ homes

News Desk

Leave a Comment