SPAIN'S NEW NORMAL BEGINS: Life After the COVID-19 Lockdown

Mijas-Málaga, by Jose A.

On Sunday June 21, Spain will enter what the government is calling the “new normal.” After three months, the State of Alarm will come to an end, but it will not be a situation completely free of restrictions. Hygiene and safe-distancing measures will remain, e.g., the obligatory use of masks when a safe inter-personal distance of 1.5 meters cannot be maintained, with fines of up to €100 for violators.

Regarding many other matters, the Autonomous Regions will take control of much of the management of the crisis from now on, with each regional government establishing its own measures. For the most part, these will involve regulating capacity in establishments and events of all kinds, whether indoors or outdoors. Madrid, for example, has already announced that nightclubs will remain closed until July 5th. Local fiestas may also be suspended. 

Nationwide, the biggest change is an end to mobility restrictions within Spanish territory and the freedom to once again travel to other regions without need for justification. Travel restrictions with most European Union and Schengen area countries also come to an end on Sunday. The exceptions are: Portugal, whose border will not reopen until July 1st, and the United Kingdom, for which no date has been set for normalizing travel. The Spanish government is considering implementing a  quarantine requirement with the UK, given that people traveling there must self-isolate for two weeks. Meanwhile, the British government is considering revising this measure, but not before June 29.  

Borders with the rest of the world will begin to open on July 1st, on a gradual basis, but there will be some requirements before travel is allowed: an epidemiological situation that is similar to or better than that of EU member states; certain health conditions in the country of origin, the journey and the destination; and reciprocal acceptance of travelers from the EU.

Will there be another lockdown in Spain? If there are localized outbreaks of the coronavirus, specific lockdowns will be possible on an individual basis and in very specific areas, such as in a town or city. Of course, a national lockdown under another State of Alarm could occur, if the need arises.  As Health Minister Salvador Illa said recently, “If we have to use it again, of course, we will use it again.”

Source: El País

No COVID-19 realted deaths reported in Spain

Today, the Health Ministry reported no coronavirus deaths in Spain the last 24 hours. That's the second day in a row! Yesterday, June 1st, was the first day no deaths were reported since the health crisis began. Below are links to articles in the English language version of Spain's El País newspaper.

Source: New York Times

June 1, 2020: No new coronavirus deaths in the last 24 hours, Health Ministry reports

June 2, 2020: Health Ministry reports no daily coronavirus deaths for second day running

Unvaccinated child dies of diphtheria / Citizenship granted to Sephardic Jews. Descendants of expelled Muslims get nothing

Spain related Newsvine posts:

Unvaccinated child dies of diphtheria in Spain: first case in nearly 30 years

Spanish media is reporting that a six-year-old infected with diphtheria died early this morning. The boy, from the town of Olot in the region of Catlonia, had not been vaccinated against the disease, which had not been seen in Spain in nearly three decades. He had been unde …

500 years after expulsion at pain of death, Spain grants citizenship to Sephardic Jews. Descendants of expelled Muslims get nothing.

A century ago, Marcelo Benveniste’s four Jewish grandparents emigrated from the Greek island of Rhodes to Argentina. Unlike many new arrivals on far-flung shores, they had little difficulty navigating their way through the challenges of a foreign tongue as as they already …

Teresa Romero cured of Ebola; Spanish nursing assistant was first person infected outside Africa

From Newsvine: "Tests performed on Romero today could not detect the Ebola virus in her blood, according to Teresa Mesa the family's spokeswoman. The special committee set up by Spain to manage the crisis has confirmed the test result, but a second analysis will be required to confirm the virus' absence. If the negative finding is repeated tomorrow, the medical case will be practically closed.

This news follows yesterday's announcement that Romero was..."

[Update, Tuesday 21 October 2014: Romero has now reportedly tested negative four times and has been officially declared cured.]

Links to two other recent Newsvine posts: 

Teresa Romero subject of political fight

Spain: Elevator capital of the world.

Spain's Thursday News: Fire in Catalonia ; Telefonica told to pay up ; World told to eat walnuts

Catalan residents and visitors evacuated: The biggest story locally was the forest fire in Montroig del Camp near Tarragona, which is south of Barcelona. Residents and tourists had to be evacuated and around 300 hectares were destroyed, including woodlands, farms, a camp-ground and a restaurant. There were only a few light injuries, mostly smoke inhalation, and people were eventually able to return to their homes thanks to the efforts of local firefighters. This makes six forest fires reported in Catalonia so far this week.

Telfonica slapped with a fine: The European Commission fined Telefonica, Spain's former telephone monopoly (that still acts like it is!), a whopping €152 million ($206 / £102m). This is the largest fine ever for a telephone company and the second largest penalty of any kind imposed by EU regulators. (The record holder? Microsoft's €497 million fine.)

Telefonica has long been accused of abusing its market position in Spain by charging other companies excessively high rates to use its lines. EU regulators claimed this has impeded competition and, therefore, hurt consumers.

EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said, "Telefonica's conduct harmed Spanish consumers, Spanish businesses and the Spanish economy as a whole, and by extension Europe's economy." She claimed that the large size of the fine was necessary as a deterrent and a warning to other companies.

Telefonica has pledged to go to the European Court of Justice to appeal the fine.

I say, "Way to go, Neelie!"

More proof that the Spanish diet is healthy! Probably everyone would agree that a low fat diet is good for you, but could a daily dose of virgin olive oil and walnuts be even better? According to the Prevencion con Dieta Mediterranea (aka, PREDIMED) study, it sure looks that way. The Spanish study of the Mediterranean diet revealed that regular consumption of walnuts and/or virgin olive oil could prevent coronary heart disease (CHD). The first results of the study were published last month in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The study concluded that there is enough, "evidence to recommend TMD [The Mediterranean Diet] as a useful tool against risk factors for CHD" because "individuals at high cardiovascular risk who improved their diet toward a TMD pattern showed significant reductions in cellular lipid levels and LDL oxidation."

I say, "Way to go, TMD!"