Alex Trelinski
VALENCIAN President, Ximo Puig, will ask the Spanish government today(January 20) for permission to bring forward the start of the region’s curfew to 8.00 pm.
Puig will make the request at today’s meeting of the Inter-territorial Council where all of Spain’s regions are represented along with the Ministry of Health.
The Valencian Community yesterday announced a new package of restrictions on a day which saw record coronavirus infections, deaths, and hospitalisations.
The region also wants to restrict any social contacts to family members and co-habiting people only, but plans to introduce that measure in tandem with an extended curfew.
Curfews across Spain can only begin at 10.00 pm under the current State of Alarm protocols, which can only be amended by the national government.
Today’s Inter-territorial Council meeting is expected to see calls from most, if not all, of the country’s regions to have more power over curfew times.
The latest measures in the Valencian Community start tomorrow and include the total closure of bars and restaurants, and the shutting of non-essential shops from 6.00 pm.
The region though has no plans for home confinements that were a major plank of the first State of Alarm ten months ago.
Ximo Puig said: “It is an extreme measure that can only be introduced nationally and would have serious side effects in creating physical and mental health problems.”
