Bars and restaurants may now close at 1am, with last orders at midnight, after the Ministry of Health of Spain has transferred the national order to all regions of the country with the restrictions on nightlife and hospitality for this summer, as agreed by the Interterritorial Health Council earlier this week.
These restrictions include the closing time of nightlife venues (night clubs and discotecas licences) that have been closed since August 14th last year, at 2am, and are mandatory from now until the Ministry of Health "approves the end of their validity".
The Canary Islands government have received the order but have said that they are not going to authorise the reopening of these venues until there is some regional agreement on the matter.
The order, which is published in the BOE today, is mandatory as reminded by the Ministry: "This declaration of coordinated actions requires all communities with a statute of autonomy, regardless of the direction of their vote."
And it affirms this, referring to the second paragraph of article 151.2.a) of the Law on the Legal Regime of the Public Sector, on Sectorial Conference Agreements, on Sectorial Conference Agreements referring to the health field, in which the General State Administration It is assigned general coordination functions.
Unlike the initial proposal that the Minister of Health made to the communities on Wednesday, it is no longer subject to the validity of the regulations until 70% of the population is vaccinated, but "until the end of its term is approved by the Ministry of Health and validated with prior agreement of the Interterritorial Council.
This means that as of today, nightlife can reopen until 2am, extendable to 3am in regions that are out of risk level or in alert level 1, which today are Galicia, Cantabria, Navarra, Extremadura, Valencia, Murcia, Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands. The rest, except Euskadi and La Rioja, which are at level 3, are at alert level 2.
The consumption of drinks and food in these places, both indoors and outdoors, will be done seated, with a separation between the chairs of different tables of at least 1.5 metres.
They may not exceed 50% of the capacity inside; the outdoor terraces may occupy all the permitted tables, which may only be occupied by a maximum of 6 people indoors and 10 outdoors.
If the territory is in alert level 2, the community may consider authorizing the opening of nightlife venues with the restrictions proposed at the Health traffic light, which reduces the capacity to 33%.
Regarding the hospitality industry, if the territory is outside the risk levels, half of the capacity will be allowed indoors, and it can be increased by 10% if measures are applied that guarantee a high level of ventilation and air quality control.
On the outdoor terraces, all the tables separated by 1.5 metres can be used and occupied to the maximum by 6 people indoors and 10 outdoors. Bar service and consumption is allowed. They will be open until 1am at the latest and will stop serving at midnight.
And in mass events, the risk control measures proposed in the so-called Health traffic light will be applied, ranging from the prohibition of eating, drinking and smoking in areas intended for the public to the mandatory use of a mask.
In addition, smoking is prohibited in outdoor spaces when a minimum interpersonal distance of at least 2 metres cannot be respected, including any other device for inhaling tobacco, water pipes, hookahs or similar.
