Fines for ignoring lockdown laws

ON the first day of the national State of Alarm (or state of emergency) some people have already been issued with sanctions for ignoring the new laws. Cyclists who have been out for leisure reasons and people walking without being able to reasonably justify the reason for being away from home are among those fined this Monday. People can be fined between 600 and 30,000 euros for not having identification or lying about their reason for being outdoors. Removing items such as police tape set up to block off areas like beaches can result in fines of between 100 and 600 euros.  Anyone taking actions which could “cause serious damage to the health of the population” can be fined between 3,000 and 60,000 euros and up to 600,000 euros for anyone who flagrantly increases the risk by their actions. The exact definition of what most of these guidelines mean in practice is imprecise and changing constantly. You should refer to the online information from a trusted site (your town hall, the Spanish government some expatriate groups such as Citizens Advice Bureau) for current information. Be wary of what you read on general social media, much of which is the online equivalent of the know-it-all in the pub.