Spain’s Prime Minister outlines his plan for de-escalation.

• Sánchez spoke of a “transition plan” for the “gradual and asymmetric” de-escalation towards that “new normality”.

  • “the school year will begin in September”,
    • Under 6 can go to infant school for essential workers.
  • Four phases, each of 2 weeks.
  • Sánchez said he wants all of Spain to go through all four phases in eight weeks.
  • Everyone in that new normality by the end of June. Everyone to phase zero on May 4th.
  • The “unit of action” will be the 52 province or the islands. They can move at different speeds. Some of the islands in the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands will go directly to phase 1.
  • Controlled by the Ministry of Health and Not the Provinces.
  • Will depend upon the number of cases in each Province.

• Phase 0: May 2: individual exercise outside for one hour, there will be specific hours, to be confirmed.

  • • Andalucia is proposing 07:00 -10:00 and 21:00 -23:00 to practice sport.
    • Distance apart – walking – four or five metres;  running – 10 metres; bicycles – 20 metres.
    • Elderly Walking – 09:00 to 14:00; Children Play – 16:00 to 21:00
  • Government is studying “ordering” trips outside after seeing what happened on Sunday with the children,
  • Permitted to order and collect takeaway food.
  • May 3: Andalucia propose: Religious practices
  • May 10: Andalucia propose: All family members outside

• Phase 1: by May 11 in eligible provinces

  • small shops, including beauty salon and hairdressers
  • Andalucia propose: 30 minute limit in small shops and 90 minutes in larger store.
  • Restaurants and bars with terraces at 30% capacity.
  • Andalucia propose: Drinks only – max stay 30 mins. Meal – max stay 90 minutes.
  • hotels without shared areas,
  • opening times for the over 65s,
  • places of worship at 30%,
  • the use of masks in public transport will be “highly recommend”.
  • Travel to second homes only if they are in the same province or if the two provinces are in the same phase.
  • May 18: Andalucia propose: Funerals

• Phase 2:

  • 25^th May: Andalucia propose: inside service in restaurants cafes, bars, hotels. at 30% capacity.
  • hunting and sport fishing,
  • cinemas and theatres with limited capacity, monuments, exhibitions. All at 30% capacity.
  • Outdoor events if there are no more than 400 people.

• Phase 3: “general mobility will be more flexible” but with recommendations for using masks outside the home and on public transport.

  • Capacities at 50% but with strict distancing between people.
  • The reopening of beaches (second half of June?)

Comment

• During the multiple phases, not always the same in Spain’s 52 provinces, how is the transfer of people between provinces going to work in the meantime? How will they control the roads?
• “If we have to choose between prudence and risk, the Spanish Government will certainly always choose prudence.”
• “It’s a virus that is still there, it is a virus that we have under control, but it is a virus that is still infecting an average of a thousand people a day. It is a virus that is killing people in our country”.
• “We don’t know what we’re dealing with, science still doesn’t know about many aspects of this virus.”
• Info thanks to Matthew Bennett of ‘The Spain Report’.