Read in Catalan

Nightly curfew and other existing coronavirus restrictions will continue in Catalonia until Friday, January 21st. The Catalan High Court (TSJC) today endorsed the maintenance of the curfew, from 1am until 6am, for fourteen more days, as requested by the Catalan government to try to limit the high number of Covid-19 infections, which today reached a figure of 32,556 new cases in Catalonia, according to CatSalut data. Public prosecutors, who had opposed the initial imposition of the measures, had already stated yesterday that they were backing the extension, in the face of reports submitted by the Generalitat administration.

In its earlier resolution, the TSJC stated that the measures requested under the first curfew, from December 23rd to January 7th, and the limitation of gatherings to ten people, were restrictions that were "necessary, appropriate and proportionate" to the pressure of the sixth wave of the pandemic and tension in the health system. This time, prosecutors also approved an extension of two more weeks and the court validated the government proposal. Data provided by the Catalan health department forecast that Covid patients in ICU beds will reach 700 after the Three Kings break, when the figure now is close to 500.

Measures extended

All of the existing Covid measures in Catalonia have thus been extended, with the only change being the addition of eight new municipalities to those affected by curfew: Alcarràs, Castell-Platja d'Aro, Cunit, el Vendrell, Mont-roig del Camp, Salt, Torroella de Montgrí and Vilanova i la Geltrú. The night-time confinement will thus be applied to 124 municipalities of more than 10,000 inhabitants with a seven-day Covid incidence (IA7) of more than 250 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, as well as in the nine other municipalities which are surrounded by those under curfew.

The full measures in force until Friday, 21st January are:

  • Night-time curfew from 1am to 6am in 133 towns. (Full list at the end of this article) 
  • Nightlife sector (nightclubs and late night venues) remains closed throught Catalonia.
  • Social gatherings and meetings are limited to a maximum of 10 people, and can only exceed this if all those present belong to the same household bubble.
  • Maximum occupancy of interior spaces for restaurants and bars is 50% of the normal maximum, with 100% allowed on terraces.
  • Occupancy in cultural and entertainment venues (concert halls, theatres, cinemas, auditoriums and circuses with tents), as well as in shops and gyms is set at 70% of the normal maximum.
  • Funeral centres and other religious ceremonies are also limited to 70% of the normal maximum capacity.
  • Working from home as much as possible continues to be a priority.

In today's ruling, the TSJC's administrative chamber highlights the "exhaustive report" prepared by the Catalan public health agency on the evolution of Covid-19 infections and their effects on people and health centres, which sets out “26 unfavourable characteristics”. As a result of all this, the TSJC states: “As the preservation of fundamental rights such as life, physical integrity and the right to protection of health represent a shared public interest that, amidst a pandemic, acquires an essential character, their preservation must, consequently, have a priority criterion, without other rights deserving of greater protection being imposed ahead of them”.

 

The TSJC reiterates the jurisprudence of the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court, as well as its own chamber in 2021, clarifying that restrictions on fundamental rights, such as a curfew, can be imposed without decreeing a state of alarm, the constitutional status which was used to permit curfews in earlier phases of the pandemic in the Spanish state. However, the court admits that the legal difficulties would be fewer, both for the health administrations and for the administrative litigation chambers, if there existed sufficiently articulated regulation on the conditions and limits for restricting fundamental rights in emergency situations such as the current one. Nevertheless, it confirmed that the curfew restrictions and the limit of gatherings to ten people can be adopted under the auspices of Article 3 of Spanish Organic Law 3/1986. The court also endorses the maintenance of the Covid-19 passport, as the right to life is considered ahead of the right to privacy and equality, and because the Supreme Court has already clarified that there is no discrimination against people without the passport as they can still use an antigen test to access spaces such as bars and restaurants.

Nightlife appeal, rejected

 

In addition to the Catalan government's extension of Covid measures, the TSJC also decided this afternoon to reject the nightlife sector's appeal against its forced closure in Catalonia over the Christmas period. The court gave the thumbs down to the appeal by the Fecalon federation and some 55 groups in the face of "undoubted" and "obvious" evidence that nightlife posed a risk to public health. The court clarified that although there is no doubt that the sector has suffered losses due to the closure, in no case do they consider that these were "irreparable", as they are economic. 

The appellants had asked the court to allow them to open for reduced hours, as well as in premises without dance floors and with capacity limits in municipalities where there is no curfew.

Full list of municipalities affected by curfew

A total of 124 Catalan municipalities of more than 10,000 inhabitants will have to apply a curfew due to a seven-day Covid incidence (IA7) of more than 250 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Nine more towns marked in the list with an *asterisk are included because they are surrounded by others that are under curfew, and therefore also have to apply it.

  1. Abrera
  2. Alcarràs
  3. Amposta
  4. Arenys de Mar
  5. Argentona
  6. Badalona
  7. Badia del Vallès
  8. Balaguer
  9. Banyoles
  10. Barberà del Vallès
  11. Barcelona
  12. Berga
  13. Blanes
  14. Calafell
  15. Caldes de Montbui
  16. Calella
  17. Calonge i Sant Antoni
  18. Cambrils
  19. Canet de Mar
  20. Canovelles
  21. Cardedeu
  22. Cassà de la Selva
  23. Castellar del Vallès
  24. Castellbisbal
  25. Castelldefels
  26. Castelló d'Empúries
  27. Castell-Platja d'Aro
  28. Cerdanyola del Vallès
  29. Corbera de Llobregat
  30. Cornellà de Llobregat
  31. Cubelles
  32. Cunit
  33. Deltebre
  34. El Masnou
  35. El Papiol*
  36. El Prat de Llobregat
  37. El Vendrell
  38. Esparreguera
  39. Esplugues de Llobregat
  40. Figueres
  41. Gavà
  42. Girona
  43. Granollers
  44. Igualada
  45. La Bisbal d'Empordà
  46. La Canonja*
  47. La Garriga
  48. La Llagosta
  49. La Roca del Vallès
  50. La Seu d'Urgell
  51. L'Escala
  52. Les Franqueses del Vallès
  53. L'Hospitalet de Llobregat
  54. Lleida, Exceptuades Les EMD de Sucs I Raïmat 
  55. Lliçà d'Amunt
  56. Lliçà de Vall*
  57. Llinars del Vallès
  58. Lloret de Mar
  59. Malgrat de Mar
  60. Manlleu
  61. Manresa
  62. Martorell
  63. Mataró
  64. Molins de Rei
  65. Mollerussa
  66. Mollet del Vallès
  67. Montcada i Reixac
  68. Montgat
  69. Montmeló*
  70. Montornès del Vallès
  71. Mont-Roig del Camp
  72. Olesa de Montserrat
  73. Olot
  74. Palafolls*
  75. Palafrugell
  76. Palamós
  77. Palau-Solità i Plegamans
  78. Pallejà
  79. Parets del Vallès
  80. Piera
  81. Pineda de Mar
  82. Polinyà*
  83. Premià de Dalt
  84. Premià de Mar
  85. Reus
  86. Ripoll
  87. Ripollet
  88. Roses
  89. Rubí
  90. Sabadell
  91. Salou
  92. Salt
  93. Sant Adrià de Besòs
  94. Sant Andreu de la Barca
  95. Sant Andreu de Llavaneres
  96. Sant Boi de Llobregat
  97. Sant Carles de la Ràpita
  98. Sant Celoni
  99. Sant Cugat del Vallès
  100. Sant Feliu de Guíxols
  101. Sant Feliu de Llobregat
  102. Sant Jaume d'Enveja*
  103. Sant Joan de Vilatorrada
  104. Sant Joan Despí
  105. Sant Just Desvern
  106. Sant Pere de Ribes
  107. Sant Quirze del Vallès
  108. Sant Sadurní d'Anoia
  109. Sant Vicenç dels Horts
  110. Santa Coloma de Farners
  111. Santa Coloma de Gramenet
  112. Santa Margarida de Montbui
  113. Santa Perpètua de Mogoda
  114. Santa Susanna
  115. Sentmenat
  116. Sitges
  117. Tarragona
  118. Tàrrega
  119. Terrassa
  120. Tordera
  121. Torelló
  122. Torredembarra
  123. Torroella de Montgrí
  124. Tortosa
  125. Vallirana
  126. Valls
  127. Vic
  128. Viladecans
  129. Vilafranca del Penedès
  130. Vilanova del Camí
  131. Vilanova i la Geltrú
  132. Vila-Seca
  133. Vilassar de Mar