Spain

The doors are open as Spain receive the first visitors from the EU and Schengen area on Sunday. Airports across Spain have begun to receive visitors after the boarders of Spain open, the state of alarm that was implemented on March 15 has ended, the coronavirus outbreak in Spain has been amongst the worst seen in Europe as well as having the strictest measures of control and lockdown in the world. Residents of Spain have seen the military on the streets and the police have issued more fines than anywhere else in Europe.

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Sunday that the country will reopen its borders with all European Union and Schengen-area countries on June 21. The exception will be Portugal, which will have to wait until July 1 on the request of the Portuguese government. The United Kingdom is still considered an EU member state given that it is in a transition period and enjoys full membership rights. This means that UK travelers will also be able to enter Spain from June 21.

For the regions that qualify to join phase 3 from Monday June 8 will see that discotheques can resume activity, but the rules are without dancing, and also the bullrings will open with restrictions on their capacity of a third. In Phase 3, in addition, the reopening of casinos , gambling venues, bingos, raffles and tombolas is allowed , but only with half their capacity and complying with all hygiene and social distance measures. Likewise, bars and restaurants may allow consumption within their premises, but only to 50% of their maximum authorized clientele. To these new measures must be added the possibility of occupying all seats on buses and trains, as well as the possibility of occupying both seats on motorcycles , but both the driver and the passenger must be provided with gloves.

The Spanish government has clarified that Spain will not open to international visitors until July 1, reversing Tourism Minister Reyes Maroto’s announcement on Thursday that restrictions to border crossings with Portugal and France would be lifted from June 22.

Moving on with the deescalation process in Spain, 70% of the population move to Phase 2 with the following areas:

Residents in certain areas of Spain welcome the relaxed lockdown conditions of phase 2 today Monday 25 May. With more than 28,000 deaths attributed to Covid-19 the country can now see the start of the new normality.

ONE of the key indicators that the Spanish are gradually getting back to work is the number of employees coming off their ERTE payments, almost 300,000 as at the 12 May, the latest figures available. The emergency government payments were awarded under “force majerure” (unforeseeable circumstances that prevent someone from fulfilling a contract) due to the coronavirus outbreak and sudden closure or partial shutdown of many businesses both small and large.

MANY shopping centres will be able to open for the first time since March as some parts of Spain move into Phase 2 next week (25 May). However, they will be a subject to a number of regulations, and many may decide to stay closed until restrictions looser further. Children’s areas will need to be closed, partitions will need to be installed at information and customer service desks, social distancing (including car parks) will need to be followed and numbers of customers will have to be accurately measured.

KING Felipe and Queen Letizia have made their first “real world” appearance” since the State of alarm began back in March

THE five main lottery draws across Spain are expected to return this month with the exception of the National Lottery which is scheduled for an 11 June comeback