Alex Trelinski
NEW restrictions to stop of the spread of COVID-19 in the Valencian Community came into force at midnight (December 21).
The move comes as the region had its worst week of new infections throughout the pandemic.
The last seven days produced some of the largest new case rates in Spain, beaten only by the Madrid area and the Balearic Islands.
The main change in the Community is the nightly curfew starting an hour earlier at 11.00pm.
The curfew time will be pushed back an hour on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
Bars and restaurants will continue to stop serving an hour before the curfew kicks in
The package eliminates all of the relaxations planned over five days of the festive season, which now includes keeping to a limit of six people who are allowed to meet.
The official proclamation by the Valencian government recommends that the meetings of six should be preferably kept to a gathering between two households.
That has been watered down from last Thursday’s initial announcement which said it would be a legal obligation.
Regional health ministry officials are said to have pushed for the ‘obligation’ to be downgraded to a ‘recommendation’.
Rule breakers could be fined anything between €601 and €30,000
The Valencian Community border remains closed until January 15, with a few exemptions for work and health visits.
The Guardia Civil said that 3,180 fines have been issued for people wanting trying to break the border closure since it started on October 30.
