Free movement across Andalucia on June 8 only possible if Granada & Costa del Sol’s Malaga also secure access to Phase 3

SPAIN’S Junta of Andalucia has announced that it can only allow free movement across the region on Monday June 8, if Granada and Costa del Sol’s Malaga secure access to Phase 3 of de-escalation at the same time as the other provinces.

“Movement between provinces will not happen unless the whole region can access Phase 3 of de-escalation as a block next week,” confirmed Elías Bendodo, spokesperson for the Junta of Andalucia. Both Granada and Malaga were finally given access to Phase 2 of de-escalation yesterday.

Although there are still doubts over whether Spain’s Ministry of Health will allow Granada and Malaga to access Phase 3 with the rest of the province, the Junta of Andalucia is hopeful. It is insisting that the government allows the region to progress to the next phase as a block, particularly given the favourable health statistics across the whole region.

According to Bendodo, the percentage of people in Andalucia testing positive for Covid-19 through the PCR test is just 1.6 per cent, compared to the country’s national average of 14 per cent. In Malaga and Granada this figure is 2 per cent and 2.8 per cent, respectively, which is also much lower than other territories that have already been in Phase 2 for a week, such as Navarra or Aragon, he added.

Given these favourable health statistics, the Junta of Andalucia is optimistic that the Ministry of Health may agree to let Malaga and Granada access Phase 3 a week earlier, on June 8 together with the other provinces, which would mean residents can move freely across the Andalucian region from next week.