Cristina Hodgson
THE Junta has announced it is considering shutting down nightclub venues in order to prevent new COVID-19 outbreaks.
Andalucia is set to join several other regions in Spain in placing limits on the capacity of establishments and will confirm next week if nighttime venues are to be temporarily closed.
The announcement has come following a recent COVID-19 outbreak at a nightclub in Cordoba which has led to a large spike in infections.
So far 91 people have tested positive in the Cordoba outbreak and 2,990 PCR tests have been carried out. Consequently, it is the largest outbreak of the 24 active in Andalucia, and one of the biggest in Spain.
The spike in infections related to nightclubs and parties in Spain has led authorities to take drastic measures against what they consider one of the greatest risks in the fight against coronavirus contagion.
According to the Andalucian vice-president and counsellor of Tourism, Juan Marin, the decision to crack down on nightclubs will be taken according to health criteria.
The next Governing Council meeting to monitor the situation will be held on Monday, July 27.
“When we have all the information, a decision will be taken, if necessary, next Tuesday,” Marin said.
Measures implemented by the Junta are evaluated every 15 days with expert reports, permitting decisions taken to be re-evaluated.
According to Fernando Simon, the director of the Health Ministry’s Coordination Centre for Health Alerts, infections at nightclubs ‘could involve people from multiple places and cause a widespread transmission.’
Additionally, nighttime venues tend to be poorly ventilated, and the volume of the music means the tone of voice is elevated, which has been documented as a risk factor where the probability of contagion increases by 19-20%.
