When will perimeter closures come into force in Marbella, Estepona and the other municipalities which cross the COVID-19 thresholds set by Spain’s Andalucia?

EIGHT Malaga municipalities are facing tougher coronavirus restrictions this week after crossing the incidence rate threshold set by the Junta de Andalucia.

Malaga city, Marbella and Estepona are among the towns which now register a 14-day cumulative incidence rate of 500 cases per 100,000 people or higher.

The others are Benalmadena, Rincon, Mijas, Fuengirola and Cartama.

It comes after new measures announced at the weekend declared that any municipality with an incidence rate of more than 500 would have to close its outer perimeters.

That means no one can leave or exit without a justified reason, which they must be able to prove with documentation.

But when will the border closures come into force?

The measures outlined in the Official Gazette of Andalucia (BOJA) do not allow for the automatic upgrading of municipalities into the higher risk categories.

The Junta is therefore now meeting every Monday and Thursday to add to the list of municipalities which must implement tougher restrictions.

Those who are added on Mondays must implement the new rules from 00:00 on the following Wednesday (two days later).

Those added on Thursdays must bring in the new measures from 00:00 on the following Saturday.

The measures will then stay in place for at least 14 days.

This also applies to municipalities which surpass the 1,000 cases per 100,000 people threshold.

These severely affected towns will have to cease all non-essential activity, including bars and restaurants.

Seven municipalities in Malaga alone will have to take this step on Wednesday after registering a 14-day cumulative incidence rate of over 1,000 cases per 100,000 people.

They will join the 14 others in the province which had already crossed the threshold.

The seven new municipalities are: Farajan, Moclinejo, Alora, Cañete la Real, Alcaucin, Velez-Malaga and Alfarnate.

The municipalities already under the harshest of restrictions in Malaga province are: Teba, Almargen, Monda, Alameda, Salares, Ardales, Igualeja, El Borge, Benamocarra, Cartajima, Coin, Alfarnatejo, Alhaurin el Grande and Algatocin.