Five Andalucian provinces reintroduce mandatory masks in large outdoor events

Five Andalucian provinces reintroduce mandatory masks in large outdoor events

Five Andalucian provinces, as of this Saturday, December 18, will enforce the mandatory use of a mask in public shows, or mass events. This will apply to municipalities that are at level 1 and 2 alerts for Covid, even if they are held in outdoor spaces. Alert level 1 will run from Saturday 18 until December 28, in the provinces of, Cordoba, Huelva, Jaen, Malaga, and Sevilla.

This is established by an order of the Ministry of Health that regulates the specific measures for the containment of Covid-19 in alert levels 1 and 2. Certain measures in levels 1 and 2 will not apply though, such as the 75 per cent of maximum capacity, and the limitation of hours until 2am.

Likewise, the rule limiting eight people indoors, and ten outdoors for hospitality establishments has also been eliminated, as has the limitation of hours for nightlife venues until 5am.

This order has been published in an extraordinary edition of the Official Gazette of the Junta de Andalucia (BOJA). It occurs on the same day that the Superior Court of Justice of Andalucia (TSJA) ratified the order relating to the use of Covid certificates or diagnostic tests for access to the interior spaces of hospitality and leisure establishments. This will come into effect at 00:00 on Monday, December 20.

The new regulation of Covid alert levels 1 and 2 abolishes time limits and capacity, and only establishes a rule for cinemas, theatres, and establishments for public shows.

According to the order, these are places where “the movement of people through the premises must be organised in a way that respects the distance of interpersonal security, the opening of doors will be carried out sufficiently in advance to allow staggered access”.

It continues, “The exit of the public must be ensured that it is also carried out in a staggered manner by zones, guaranteeing the safety distance between people, and must be indicated by the appropriate signage”. In the case of public shows or mass events, the new Health Order establishes that “The use of the mask will be mandatory, even if they are held in open-air spaces”.

Also, “Independent sectors of a maximum of 1,000 people must be defined, respecting at all times the safety and evacuation regulations, in which an access point to each sector with independent services must be designated, although it will not be necessary to carry out the risk assessment by the health authority”.

In general, the new standard establishes that in alert levels 1 and 2, the activity of commercial, hotel, and nightlife establishments “May be carried out in duly authorised public or private facilities, without exceeding, in any case, the capacity that they have authorised by its applicable regulations”.

It continued, “This must always be with the greatest possible interpersonal distance that allows the maintenance of adequate preventive and hygiene measures to prevent the risks of contagion, especially those related to avoiding the agglomeration of people, and having adequate ventilation in spaces closed”.

The Board determines that, “The maximum hours of these establishments will be determined in their sectoral or municipal regulations of application, while regarding the mandatory use of masks, the provisions of article 6 of Law 2/2021 of March 29, will be applied, of urgent prevention, containment and coordination measures to face the health crisis caused by Covid-19”.

As “concrete measures”, the Health order details that in alert levels 1 and 2 “The use of toilets, changing rooms, lactation rooms, or similar of clients, visitors, or users, will be in accordance with the authorised capacity in them”

Adding, “Maintaining the mandatory use of a mask, adequate ventilation, and establishing appropriate organisational measures to avoid agglomerations that prevent the maintenance of preventive and hygiene measures, adequate to prevent the risks of contagion”.

Likewise, it establishes that “It will not be necessary to carry out the risk assessment by the health authority for activities, tests, and leisure sporting events, competition or exhibition that concentrate more than 2,000 people between participants and the public in the open air, or in outdoor sports facilities, and in the event that more than 1,000 people are concentrated in covered sports facilities”.

The preventive measures for the practice of recreational activities remain identical to the order of May 7, from the Ministry of Health. “In the rehearsals and concerts of music bands, the wind instruments, including their parts, such as reeds or mouthpieces, should not be shared between the different members, being their exclusive use”.

Plus, “In trade fairs, conferences, congresses, and other professional events, it will not be necessary to carry out the risk assessment by the health authority”, as reported by malagahoy.es.

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