Spain’s Andalucia opens up for Christmas – all you need to know about the two-phase plan

ANDALUCIA has announced a two-phase plan to lift current coronavirus restrictions over the coming weeks and festive period.

Speaking from Sevilla tonight, Junta president Juanma Moreno was optimistic following weeks of lowering infection and cumulative incidence rates.

But the Partido Popular leader said caution was still needed, particularly after the long bank holiday weekend, which ended on Tuesday.

Experts fear families meeting up and staying with one another may result in a spike in infections in week or even two weeks’ time.

For this reason, following advice from the ‘expert committee’, the Junta has devised a two-stage plan, with different measures in place from December 12 to 17 and from December 18 until January 10.

Phase 1: 00:00 December 12 to 23:59 December 17

In the first phase, travel will be permitted between municipalities within the same province e.g. from Marbella to Estepona or Fuengirola to Mijas.

However travel between provinces will continue to be forbidden e.g. from Sevilla to Cadiz or Malaga to Almeria.

Non-essential businesses, including shops, will be permitted to remain open until 9pm.

Restaurants and bars will still have to close at 6pm, while people can pick up deliveries until 9:30pm and restaurants can send out food for delivery until 11:30pm.

The curfew will also remain the same, from 10pm to 7am.

Phase 2: 00:00 December 18 to January 10

In phase two, travel will be permitted between the provinces of Andalucia.

Shops will be permitted to resume their usual opening hours i.e. past the 9pm closing time mandated in phase one.

Bars and restaurants must continue to close at six but will be allowed to re-open from 8pm to 10.30pm.

The curfew will be from 11pm until 6am, starting an hour later and ending an hour sooner.

Festive period (December 23 to January 6)

Meanwhile, following announcements by the national Government last week, there will be extra special measures in place from December 23 until January 6.

These include allowing people to travel to Andalucia from other regions e.g. the Community of Madrid or Murcia, but solely for the purpose of visiting family.

Family events at home must not exceed 10 people on December 24, 25 and 31 and January 1. The rest of the time the limit is six.

The starting time of the curfew on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve will be extended to 1.30am.