COVID-19 Spain: Spanish stadiums welcome back sports fans from August 13

SPORTS fans will be allowed back into the stadiums in Spain to watch their teams again in less than a week.

The Ministry of Health has finally decided that they will allow the venues to reach 40% capacity – just as the new football season kicks off on Friday.

Carolina Darias, announced on Wednesday that spectators will have to wear a mask and will not be allowed to consume any food or drink apart from water.

Smoking and electronic cigarettes are also banned inside sports venues.

It will also be mandatory for fans to maintain a 1.5-metre safety distance and if the sporting venue is indoors there must be adequate and sufficient ventilation.

In the ACB basketball stadiums, the maximum capacity allowed will be 30%.

“People who present symptoms compatible with COVID-19, as well as those who are in isolation or in a quarantine period due to close contact with a case of COVID-19, will not be able to attend the sporting event,” said Darias.

“The agreement between the Ministry of Health and the regions has been approved unanimously, except with one abstention, so it will be mandatory.

“It is a reasonable measure, and important for the clubs and public when the pandemic is in a phase of stabilisation with a downward trend. With the measure that those who go to the stadiums are preferably members of the clubs, it is intended that it will limit mobility between regions.”

She added that ‘controls will be established at the entrances and exits of the stadiums and movements within the venues will be limited.’

The agreed measures will be in force throughout the month of August and, depending on the success of the vaccine rollout in Spain, the maximum capacity of the stadiums may be increased.

“We will meet again with the regions during the last week of August,” said Darias.