Spain’s Costa Del Sol police fines Andalucia’s first family for flouting ‘family outing’ lockdown rules

Malaga’s Local Police has confirmed that it has fined the first family in Andalucia for breaching the State of Alarm ‘family outing’ rules.

ACCORDING to the Local Police, the mother in question and her three children were more than a kilometre away from their home. The 35-year-old parent was in Avenida de Andalucia, when her home is in Calle Alozaina, confirmed the police. Furthermore, she was sitting on a bench with three other people, completely disregarding the social distancing measures of at least two metres

The fine follows the government’s recent stern warning advising parents to follow the rules (as reported) and is evidence of the police acting on the state’s zero tolerance policy towards families flouting lockdown restrictions. Malaga’s police stress that it is strictly prohibited to be more than a kilometre away from your home when taking children out for their daily/walk or exercise, and flouting this restriction can land parents a whopping fine of between €601 and €1,500.

The police explained that breaking curfew rules, such as leaving the house with children outside the specified hours (9am-9pm), or taking more than three children out at once, playing on swings/roundabouts or going further than the recommended one kilometre distance from home, could land a €601 fine. Flouting more serious restrictions, such as congregating and chatting with other adults or children, or walking with other groups could see parents being slapped with a fine of around €1,500.

Under Spain’s State of Alarm’s amended regulations, the rules clearly stipulate that only one adult can go out with up to three children (under the age of 14). They can go out once a day for a maximum of one hour up to a maximum distance of 1km from the home, between the hours of 9am and 9pm – by foot and not by car. A two-metre distance must be maintained with others. Playgrounds are strictly off-limits and so is playing with other children. Children, however, can take their own toys, bikes or scooters, but not the electric variety.