In Tarragona the atmosphere has been different today. It’s not just any Monday and it shows. After nearly two months of being closed down due to coronavirus, the city has undergone a timid reopening of shops and bars. It is the largest Catalan city that has so far been permitted to enter Phase 1, the first stage of the Spanish state's plan to ease lockdown. Many stores were still finalizing preparations to receive first customers as ElNacional.cat visited this morning. Bars were preparing their terrace tables, disinfecting everything down to the last armrest.
"We clean the tables and chairs after each use", explained Carles Adrià from La Pepita restaurant, in Plaça Mossèn Cinto Verdaguer. “The city council has given us permission to spread out but many of us are afraid that there will be a resurgence and that everything will have to be closed again,” he confesses. The lockdown caught them late in their off-season and in the middle of preparation for the summer busy period.
Bar La Pepita, Plaça Mossèn Cinto Verdaguer in Tarragona / A.S.S.
Plaça del Fòrum / A.S.S.
Plaça del Rei / A.S.S.
Also able to raise the roller doors on their premises this Monday are shops with a floor area of less than 400 square metres. "There is a latent demand that had to be met," says Gerard Figueras, of the clothing store Minimum. "We've disinfected everything and we've marked on the floor the minimum distance customers have to keep from one another."
In addition, he explains that for items of clothing that people try on but don't buy, they have a policy of disinfecting, steam ironing and setting a 48-hour quarantine on the goods. However, Figueras stresses that the impact of these two months has been "brutal".
Shops open on Carrer Governador González, in Tarragona / A.S.S.
An opinion that is shared at the Sitgetana shoe store, where in the shop window, in addition to the shoes on display, there is also a sign giving instructions. Customers should use disinfectant gel when entering and put on gloves. The use of a mask is recommended. "We also have spray for shoes and, as you can see, it's all wide open so there's a lot of ventilation."
Shoe store Sitgetana, on Carrer Unió / A.S.S.
Despite the great desire to open up, the virus is a topic of conversation between employees and customers. Fear and respect are words you hear frequently.
Adserà bookshop, Rambla Nova de Tarragona / A.S.S.
The museums, still waiting
For the moment, Tarragona's museums will not be opening. According to city council sources, the archaeological site will be closed.
As they explained to ElNacional.cat, some security measures must be completed, the staff equipped and the visits prepared. Of course, they hope that the opening will be soon.
Mass at the Tarragona Cathedral
The faithful are also returning to the churches. Tarragona's cathedral opened its doors at 10:30am, as it will do until Saturday, for the celebration of the Eucharist. On Sunday there will be a mass presided over by the Archbishop of Tarragona, Joan Planellas at 12 noon.
Capacity, however, will be limited, as only one third of the normal total is allowed. As in other places, hydroalcoholic gel is provided for those attending.
This Monday, three of the nine Catalan health regions - Camp de Tarragona and Terres de l'Ebre in the Tarragona region, and Alt Pirineu i Aran in the mountainous north-west - are the only parts of Catalonia that have changed status and jumped to Phase 1 in the Spanish government's plan to move to a "new normality". Tarragona, the seventh largest Catalan city, is thus number one in the Phase 1 zone of Catalonia. In another week, the Spanish health ministry's team of technical experts will take a look at the updated situation and decide whether more health areas can move to the next phase.