Cristina Hodgson
SPAIN’S regions have become divided over whether or not to toughen up coronavirus restrictions over the Christmas period.
The green light given to leaders to bring in harsher measures has triggered has divided the country into three parts.
Regions such as Madrid, Cantabria, Andalucia, Extremadura, Asturias and Murcia have announced that they are not planning to close their borders during the Christmas holidays or significantly alter their respective Christmas plans.
Meanwhile around a third of autonomous communities, including Valencia, will be bringing in tougher measures, while the rest are waiting to see how the virus develops before making decisions.
The Valencian Community will close its outer border over Christmas and has already announced a package of more restrictive measures for the festive period.
Only the residents returning home will be permitted to enter the community, with the outer perimeter to remain closed until January 15.
Madrid, on the other side of the spectrum, has declared there will be no closure of hotels or shops in the region, ‘no matter what happens.’
That is despite the fact that it has the second-highest COVID-19 incidence rate out of all the country’s autonomous regions.
According to the President of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Diaz Ayuso, a new closure would only ‘ruin the region further’, particularly the hotel industry.
In Andalucia, the Junta made it clear that it is keeping its de-escalation plans unchanged.
Extremadura joins Andalucia declaring its intention to allow travel and meetings of up to 10 as long as the incidence does not exceed 250 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
