Alex Trelinski
THE Valencian Community’s top court has backed regional government plans to keep a night-time curfew going after the State of Alarm ends this Sunday(May 9).
The Valencian Supreme Court(TSJ) has approved the midnight curfew that president Ximo Puig requested.
The finish of the State of Alarm means that each of Spain’s 17 regions have to get their highest court to sanction the continuation of curfews and/or border closures.
The Valencian Community had already accepted that its border will reopen this Monday after it was shut in late October.
The TSJ though has only granted permission for the new curfew until May 24 and not until the end of the month, which the government wanted.
The majority of Spanish regions are not bothering to keep a curfew going once the State of Alarm lapses, but despite the lowest COVID infection rates in the country and Europe, the Valencia region still wants the restriction.
The rationale is that they want to act against late-night illegal outdoor gatherings and parties that could spread the coronavirus.
The news from the TSJ has somewhat ‘spiked’ a news conference to be hosted by Ximo Puig tomorrow to outline the new restrictions that kick in from Monday.
Though hospitality hours do not come under the responsibility of the justices, they said today that they back the government proposal for bars and restaurants to get an extra 90 minutes of opening time through to 11.30 pm.
That will largely deal with the issue of ‘local’ customers unable to go out after 9.00 pm which is when many Spaniards like to have their main evening meal.
Other measures approved by the TSJ include a ceiling of ‘no more than ten people’ at social and family gatherings be they indoors and outdoors.
Capacity in places of worship will be 75%.
The TSJ made no mention of changes to the 30% indoor capacity limit for hospitality businesses.
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