3 Nov, 2020 @ 13:32
1 min read

Spain’s Andalucia in favour of second lockdown IF it’s only way to ‘save Christmas’ as president warns of potentially stricter measures from next week

Moreno|
CRUNCH TIME: Juanma Moreno will analyse coronavirus figures with experts on Friday to decide whether or not to 'modify' the current restrictions

JUNTA de Andalucia president Juanma Moreno has said he is prepared toughen mobility and hospitality restrictions – if the national government does not order a second lockdown first.

Speaking on Antena 3 today, Moreno said if infections continue to rise he will restrict travel between cities, tighten the closing times of bars and restaurants and extend the curfew hours. 

The tougher decisions would come into force from November 9, when the current measures are scheduled to end or be extended.

But the Partido Popular leader reiterated that a home confinement like the lockdown seen in March is still the last resort. 

“If we close the economy, it means seeing yet again millions of euros in losses for the hospitality and services industry, and for the cultural sector, while unemployment would surpass 30%, that is a fact that worries and alarms us a lot,” Moreno said. 

“We are going to take all the measures that we deem necessary… but I consider home confinement to be the last resort.

“There is a difficult balance between health, i.e saving lives, which must prevail above everything, and sustaining our economy… we have to act boldly, with great intelligence and see if the measures are working.” 

While he is not considering a total lockdown ‘for now’, Moreno said he has asked the central government for that option to be prepared in case the virus continues to grow out of control. 

He added that the measure should be implemented if it’s the only way to ‘save Christmas.’ 

“We are going to wait and see if the current measures are working, we are going to give it a little bit more time, but resources are running out,” Moreno said. 

“Faced with this pandemic, we can only hope for a workable treatment or a vaccine, and the only effective measure is to limit movement until the vaccine and/or treatment arrive; and if it has to be locked down, let it be locked down as soon as possible to try and save Christmas, which as we know is one of the most critical periods of economic activity in the whole year.”

Laurence Dollimore

Laurence Dollimore is a Spanish-speaking, NCTJ-trained journalist with almost a decade’s worth of experience.
The London native has a BA in International Relations from the University of Leeds and and an MA in the same subject from Queen Mary University London.
He earned his gold star diploma in multimedia journalism at the prestigious News Associates in London in 2016, before immediately joining the Olive Press at their offices on the Costa del Sol.
After a five-year stint, Laurence returned to the UK to work as a senior reporter at the Mail Online, where he remained for two years before coming back to the Olive Press as Digital Editor in 2023.
He continues to work for the biggest newspapers in the UK, who hire him to investigate and report on stories in Spain.
These include the Daily Mail, Telegraph, Mail Online, Mail on Sunday and The Sun and Sun Online.
He has broken world exclusives on everything from the Madeleine McCann case to the anti-tourism movement in Tenerife.

GOT A STORY? Contact newsdesk@theolivepress.es or call +34 951 273 575 Twitter: @olivepress

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