Valencia to ease Covid restrictions from March 1

THE Valencia government is considering allowing bars, cafes and restaurants to open again from next month in a gradual relaxation of rules.

President of the regional government Ximo Puig and senior members of his team are meeting tomorrow to discuss the pandemic and the ‘relative’ improvement in coronavirus statistics, including a decrease in hospital and intensive care admissions.

According to insiders, the government will retain the bulk of measures until March 1 and consider a ‘slow and progressive’ de-escalation of rules designed to restrict contagion.

As well as allowing the hospitality sector to reopen – at least in some form – while the ‘perimeter’ closure of Valencia to prevent all but essential travel across its boundaries will be addressed, and the nightly curfew could be returned to 23.00 or midnight.

It appears unlikely, at least for the moment, that non-essential shops and commercial premises will see any extension to the 18.00 closing time.

And the government admits, the prohibition of people meeting indoors in private homes was more a ‘public awareness measure’ since it was impossible to enforce.

However, it was stressed that any easing of coronavirus restrictions would be ‘closely linked to the evolution of the pandemic’ and ‘the foot will be taken off the accelerator but there will be no sudden braking’.