Ex-pat parents on the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca overjoyed that Spanish Government to allow children up to 14 years old to accompany their parents for certain actions outside

Expat parents on the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca overjoyed that Spanish government to allow children up to 14 years old to accompany their parents for certain actions outside

THE Spanish government have today approved the request that the more than five million children up to 14 years of age who live in Spain can take to the streets accompanied by an adult as of next Monday, April 27. This measure, announced by the President, Pedro Sánchez, will allow them to accompany their parents to the shops, pharmacy or bank.
“We are talking about outings for children accompanied by an adult who obviously will take care so that they do not go to public parks where they can touch things that are contaminated,” said Minister of Education, Isabel Celaá.

The government appeals to the responsibility of the parents and stresses that “the measures are not being relaxed” and the children should not be going out for walks or to play.

When asked about the age up to which minors will be allowed to go out, the minister specified that the legislation estimates that children are those minors up to 14 years old. At the meeting held on Monday by the Minister of Health, Salvador Illa, with the councillors of the autonomous communities, three ages were put on the table: children up to 12 years old, as the Prime Minister said last Saturday; up to 14, as proposed in some autonomous communities; or 17, as stated in Catalonia or the committee of experts that has advised the government.

The report carried out by specialists from the paediatric association recommended it should be for all those under 18 years of age and that adolescents from 14 onwards could leave the house alone, with the authorisation of their parents, while minors under 14 did it with one of their parents. In the event that there were siblings in the same family nucleus, they could be accompanied.
In recent weeks, there have been requests to ease the strict confinement of children, which, according to a report by the Platform for the Rights of the Child, are the toughest in the world.
The Minister of Education has defended that “it is good news that children can go out” and assured that the details of that measure have been prepared with the knowledge of health experts.”