Ministry of Health and regional governments unanimously agree to coordinated actions to control spread of COVID-19

The Ministry of Health and the regional governments have unanimously agreed, at the Inter-territorial Council held on an extraordinary basis, to coordinated public health actions to respond to the increase in cases of COVID-19.

"This is the first time in the democracy that coordinated health measures have been formally declared to be jointly adopted in all autonomous regions and cities", highlighted the Minister for Health, Salvador Illa, who added that "this once again shows the shared and coordinated work we have been undertaking since the start of the pandemic to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect the health of our citizens as a whole, something that I wish to thank all the regional governments for".

These measures are focused on the control of the spread in areas that are currently the origin of the epidemic spikes with the greatest impact and risk and in those where the community transmission associated with these spikes detected can be controlled through the National Network of Epidemiological Surveillance.

Nightlife is currently the origin of the epidemic spikes with the largest number of associated cases - an average of 31 - and moreover, these are the spikes that are the origin of a large number of community transmissions at this time and of cases in several autonomous regions.

Accordingly, one of the measures consists of the closure of nightclubs, dance halls and late night bars with and without live music. And, as a complementary action, in hotel and catering establishments, restaurants, terraces and beach bars/restaurants, the interpersonal minimum distance of 1.5 metres for bar service and also between tables must be guaranteed, with a maximum of 10 people per table. The closing time of establishments will be no later than 1 am, and new customers may not be admitted as from midnight.

Large-scale events are another area of action. At these events, since they are pre-planned, a risk assessment muse be performed by the health authority in line with the rules set out in the document entitled "Recommendations for large-scale events and activities in the context of the new normality due to Covid-19 in Spain", agreed by the Public Health Committee of the Inter-territorial Council of the National Health System. According to this assessment, each event must be authorised by the corresponding regional government.

Day-care and residential centres

Day-care and residential centres for the elderly, which are the origin of the largest increase in spikes detected in recent weeks, and given that these residents constitute the most significant vulnerable group and a priority as regards measures to reduce risk, are subject to another three of the measures agreed.

On the one hand, all new admissions at residential centres must be given a PCR test 72 hours beforehand at the most. Employees that return from leave or holidays will also be given a test, as will new employees that join the workforce.

In addition, visits will be limited to one person per resident, stepping up preventive measures, with a maximum duration of one hour a day. And these will be spread out over the course of the whole day. Exceptions may be made to these measures in the case of people who are at the end of their lives. Limitations will also be placed on residents leaving the premises.

Salvador Illa expressed his gratitude for compliance with the measures introduced, "above all by the elderly" and sent out a message to young people stressing the importance of being disciplined. "We cannot ignore the fact that the virus is moving amongst us and that we must be very strict and careful until we have a vaccine".

The document approved by the Inter-territorial Council of the National Health System also provides that, in the case of an epidemic outbreak, screening will be performed through PCR testing in those groups at risk and potentially exposed (e.g. residents at day-care and residential centres, neighbourhoods with community transmission, education centres, blocks of affected residential buildings, vulnerable groups, etc.).

In turn, as regards the unauthorised consumption of alcohol in public spaces, controls will be stepped up to prevent this and other unauthorised activaties in public thoroughfares. To this end, regional and local authorities will apply the corresponding sanctions.

And, as regards the consumption of tobacco and electronic cigarettes, an exception to the obligation to use face masks may only be made when consuming tobacco or electronic cigarettes in public thoroughfares or open air spaces in the event that a distance from other people of at least 2 metres can be guaranteed.

Recommendations and health capacities

The agreement reached at the Inter-territorial Council includes periodically performing, and to the extent possible at least once a fortnight, PCR testing on workers at day-care and residential centres for the elderly that are in direct contact with residents, recommending people limit their social meetings outside of the stable group with whom they live and limiting these, at any event, to a maximum of 10 people.

The document specifies that the resources and capacities of the health systems will be guaranteed to comply with the provisions of the Early Response Plan in a scenario of the control of the pandemic caused by COVID-19.

The Declaration of Coordinated Actions will remain in force until such time as it is expressly revoked by the Ministry of Health, following an agreement by the Inter-territorial Council of the National Health System and heard by all regional governments and autonomous city authorities.

Non official translation