Laurence Dollimore
THE new coronavirus deescalation plan announced last night has left many unanswered questions which governments have promised to answer in the coming days.
One of those has been on personal travel and the visiting of family and friends, both of which have been mostly banned since March 14.
Currently, only one person can travel per car, bar exceptions, such as taxis or the urgent transportation of a family member, but always with the passenger in the back and both them and the driver donning masks.
That will all change on May 11, which, if the COVID-19 figures continue on their current trajectory, will see provinces enter Phase 1.
From then, people who live at the same address will be able to travel in the same vehicle.
They will also be permitted to visit family and friends, but only in small groups, with exact numbers to be confirmed.
They can meet in their homes or on the terraces of bars/restaurants, which by that date will be allowed to open their outside areas at a 30% capacity.
“In Phase 0 and 1, you cannot go to a friend or relative’s house, but you can go for a beer or a bermu on a terrace,” said prime minister Pedro Sanchez.
In the ensuing hours, ministers clarified that you in fact CAN visit the homes of relatives and friends.
These meetups can be in different towns, i.e., if you live in Marbella, visiting your mum and dad Mijas, but they must be in the same province.
UPDATE: A previous version of this article reported that you would only be allowed to visit friends and family at bars and restaurants. Ministers later said home visits would be permitted. The story has been updated accordingly.
