[image]
[title]As requested by the Generalitat Catalan government and the Barcelona City Council, Barcelona and a large part of the Metropolitan Area will go enter an intermediate phase of de-escalation called Phase 0.5, starting on Monday, May 18. This ‘gradual coming out of confinement’ aims to reactivate the city with ‘partial and gradual’ measures in the Barcelona region. Those areas heading in to Phase 1 on the 18th are Lleida, Girona, Central Catalonia, and the Garraf and Alt Penedès regions. The only request denied by the Ministry of Health is moving the Baix Montseny area to Phase 1, as requested by the Catalan government.
What does this mean? Most restrictions are the same as in Phase 0, but some measures are relaxed and some restrictions are lifted to favour small businesses, libraries and museums. However, other sectors won’t advance just yet, such as restaurants and bars, whose outdoor terraces will remain closed for now.
What changes in Phase 0.5?
- Shops can now open to customers without an appointment, though to just 30 percent of their capacity, and they must guarantee a safe distance between customers and workers. They must also comply with extreme cleaning measures inside the establishment.
- Museums may open at their discretion and with 30 percent of their capacity.
- Libraries may reactivate their loan services.
- Burials, funerals and wakes can be held with a maximum of ten guests in funeral homes at one time.
- Professional sport can be started up again.
What stays the same in Phase 0.5?
SHOPS
- Only those smaller than 400 m2 can open.
- Shopping centres remain closed.
- There must be preferential hours for people over 65 years old.
- A minimum distance of 2 metres between customers and employees must always be guaranteed.
- You can go to collect products purchased online or by phone.
- Included, among other establishments, are hairdressers, bookshops and beauty centres.
BARS AND RESTAURANTS
- Open for takeaway orders only.
- An appointment must be made in advance.
- Only one client per employee is allowed in at any time.
- Terraces must remain closed. In Phase 1 terraces can open only under strict safety conditions.
MOBILITY
- Masks must be worn on all forms of public transport.
- Private vehicles can be used for authorised trips only (going to work, supermarkets, pharmacy, caring for dependent people...)
- Only one person per row of seats can travel in a private vehicle. The use of masks is mandatory.
- You cannot leave the province where you live.
WALKS AND SPORT
- The timetables established by the government remain the same. - Beaches. Starting Wednesday the 20th, beaches are open for strolls, but before then only individual sport is allowed daily from 6am to 10 am. Swimming in the sea is not allowed (except for approved water sports).
- Always keep a safe distance between yourself and others; wearing masks is recommended.
- Walks are allowed only with one person you live with at a time.
- Professional athletes can resume training without a time limit as long as they are training individually and within the same province as their home.
What will we be able to do in Phase 1?
When we enter into Phase 1 there will be a moderate relaxation of restrictions, such as family gatherings (maximum of ten people), the opening of bar and restaurant terraces (up to 50 percent of their capacity), travel by private vehicle (with a maximum of nine people) and funerals and wakes with a limit on guests.
As for the service sector, small businesses will be able to open without the need for an appointment, and they can allow in customers up to 30 percent of the space’s capacity. Hotels may reopen with no access to any common areas.