What are Spain’s new Covid-19 restrictions over San Jose puente?

NEW rules come into force today, March 17, to restrict travel and curb big gatherings in those regions of Spain which have a long bank holiday weekend for Father’s Day.

The San Jose puente (a term that means bridge in Spanish and is used to describe a long weekend) is observed in Valencia, Murcia, Navarra, Extremadura, Galicia, the Basque Country and Madrid where Friday March 19 is observed as a bank holiday.

Spain’s Inter-Territorial Council of the National Health System (CISNS), a committee comprising regional healthcare chiefs and the Spain’s central Health Ministry, last week took the decision to impose perimetral lockdowns over the three-day weekend in a bid to avoid another spike in infections.

Travel has been banned between regions of Spain over San Jose puente and Easter.

The order was published in the State Gazette (BOE) last Friday and came into force at Midnight last night.

This is what it says:

From Wednesday all of Spain’s autonomous regions have a perimetral closure imposed. Most regions (all except Madrid and Extremadura) had a border closure in place anyway.

The curfew or toque de queda in Spanish is in place between 11pm and 6am all across Spain

Social gatherings are capped at a maximum of six people when meeting outdoors (this includes on terrazas) and four when around a table indoors in a bar or restaurant.

The order stipulates that households don’t mix with each other in private homes.

The measures lasts from midnight on Tuesday night until midnight on Sunday March 21.

The ban on travel outside each region also means that travel abroad is not allowed and visits to the Canary Islands or Balearic Islands are not allowed for touristic purposes but only permitted with good reason, such as work, study, medical reasons, to carry out legal or administrative procedures or issues that could be considered a “force majeure’ such as a sick relative that needs care.

These same rules will be in place between March 26 and April 9 to cover the Easter holidays.

In addition to these rules imposed under agreement with the regional health authorities – although Madrid opposed the measures – each region has its own restrictions in place.

Click on the links for more about restrictions in place in Valencia region, Andalucia or the Balearic Islands.

For an up to date breakdown of all the rules in place in each region, the Ministry of Health has produced an interactive map (If you click on the map below, you will be taken to the page).