Curfew extension until August 6 ratified by courts
Residents of 162 Catalan towns will have to remain at home between 1-6 am due to the ongoing fifth pandemic wave
The High Court has approved the Catalan government's request to extend Covid-19 restrictions until August 6 and to reimpose a curfew in 162 municipalities, down from the 165 where the measure had previously been in place.
Because the curfew and restrictions infringe upon fundamental liberties, authorities must seek court approval on a weekly basis if they wish to enforce new Covid-curbing measures or prolong already existing ones.
The towns of Figueres, Amposta, are Solsona now expected to come under the curfew, in place from 1 am to 6 am. Sitges, Igualada, Roses, Puigcerdà, Salt, Tàrrega, Tremp and Vilafant will see the restriction lifted.
The measure mainly affects municipalities with 5,000 or more residents and a 7-day Covid-19 incidence rate of 400 or more cases per 100,000 inhabitants, although it also applies to some with lower figures as they are surrounded by towns with higher rates. Catalonia as a whole currently has an average 1-week incidence rate of 508.76.
Pandemic restrictions
Beyond the curfew, all bars and restaurants and other businesses throughout Catalonia must close by 12:30 am, while cultural events have to end by then as well.
There is also a 10-person limit on gatherings in place.
Authorities have advised local councils to close off parks, beaches, and other areas where people tend to get together at night.
Attendances at religious ceremonies and funerals are limited to 70% of the venue's total capacity, with an overall maximum of 1,000.
Nightclubs are only allowed to open their outdoor areas to the public and dancing is not permitted. Facemasks must be worn when food and beverages are not being consumed.
Covid-19 in Catalonia
Cases remain high in Catalonia, which was placed in the European Union's highest risk category on July 15 due to the spread of the Delta variant among younger, unvaccinated age groups, although they have begun to "stabilize."
As of July 28, 2021, official figures, released daily on this website, state there have been 892,778 confirmed Covid-19 cases, while a total of 22,512 people have died since the beginning of the outbreak according to funeral homes.
Meanwhile, 4,984,051 residents have been given the first dose of the vaccine, 63.3% of the total population. Out of those, 3,936,039 have also been administered a second dose (50.1% of the total population). 4,413,771 residents are considered to be fully immunized (56.1%).
Under 65s who have already had the virus are only required to have the first dose, and others have received a single-dose jab. Therefore, the % of two doses administered and % fully immunized do not match.