Hundreds of young people from across Spain danced in the streets as the clock struck Saturday, celebrating the end of a six-month national state of emergency.
With COVID-19 infection rates stabilizing and the vaccination crusade progressing, most of Spain’s 17 regions have been to ease coronavirus restrictions.
The scenes of dancing without masks and organizing singing in the central square of Madrid’s Puerta del Sol resembled pre-pandemic nightlife. The police had to remove the revelers.
In Barcelona, police also had to transfer other people after the last curfew began at 22:00, but to return when it ends definitively. The revelers headed to the beach with drinks in hand.
The resolution basically allows Spaniards to switch regions for the first time in months.
Local restaurants and bars can also stay open until 11 p. m. However, a limit of another 4 people depending on table scraps and meals inside are restricted to 30% capacity.
While intra-regional bans ended and curfews were lifted, not all restrictions are being eased.
Regions can maintain hours of operation and impose capacity limits on bars and restaurants.
They can also seek court approval for stricter measures, such as reimposing curfews, limiting the number allowed in house gatherings or extending an internal ban.
Only 4 regions curfew: Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Navarra and Valencia.
The state of emergency has the country’s 17 regional governments (health officials) with a legal framework to impose measures restricting freedoms.
The restrictions included nighttime curfews or a ban on non-essentials between regions.
With the exception of a few days at Christmas, when restrictions were lifted, other people were unable to travel to other areas, spend their holidays or see their families.
Spain has been one of the countries in Europe hardest hit by the pandemic, with only about 79,000 deaths and 3. 5 million infections.
fb/mm (AFP, AP, Reuters)