The Catalan government has announced its plan for this Covid-affected Christmas in Catalonia. Acting Catalan president, Pere Aragonès, today outlined the norms that will apply over the holiday period in Catalonia, explaining that the plan is to relax the nighttime curfew on the nights when celebrations are traditionally biggest among Catalans: on Christmas Eve (December 24th) and New Year's Eve (December 31st), the curfew time will be 1:30 am. Similarly, on the evening of January 5th, the night before the Dia de reis or Three Kings day(January 6th), a major festive day in Catalonia, the curfew will be delayed until 11pm. For all the rest of the festive season, nighttime confinement will begin as normal - at 10pm.
It'll be a different holiday season, and one when the typical toast of Salut! - "Your health!" - will have a special resonance.
Curfew at 1:30am on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, and at 11pm on the night of January 5th, that is "twelth night", before the Reis festival. Also note that the rule is a maximum of 10 people at all Christmas gatherings, and that count includes children too. / Graphic: Maria López
Below is a summary of all the health measures that the Catalan government asks the public to follow over this Christmas period:
Gatherings and shared meals:
- Social gatherings are limited to a maximum of 10 people in all cases (including children). In general, you are asked to try to keep gatherings to the smallest number of people that is reasonably possible.
- Recommendation: each gathering should include people from only two cohabitation bubbles. A cohabitation bubble is a household unit, consisting of all the people who usually live together in a house or flat.
- Recommendation: over the Christmas period, each cohabitation bubble (or household unit) should only have social gatherings or shared meals with two other cohabitation bubbles.
- You should always keep to the well-known rules: maintaining physical distance, hand hygiene, use of masks, ventilation of spaces. And very important, stay at home and away from others if you have symptoms, a positive diagnosis or contact with a known case.
- Gatherings should be held outdoors if possible, but note that consumption of food or beverages in public places is prohibited, except at bar and restaurant terraces.
- Visits to care homes for the elderly and dependents will be facilitated.
- Those who are resident in care homes will be able to visit their relatives in family homes, especially on the 24th, 25th, 26th and 31st of December, and on the 1st, 5th and 6th of January.
Mobility
- Move around as little as possible. The perimeters (boundaries of municipalities, counties (comarques) or Catalonia as a whole) will depend on the phase of the re-opening plan which is in force in Catalonia at the time. At present we are in Phase 1.
- Returning to the family home will be permitted for people who are outside Catalonia before Christmas.
Curfew
- On Christmas Eve (December 24th) and New Year's Eve (December 31st) the curfew will begin at 1:30am.
- On the night of January 5th (Twelfth Night, before Reis), curfew will begin at 11pm.
- On all other nights, nighttime confinement will begin as usual at 10pm
Restaurants
- On December 24th, 25th and 26th and on New Year's Eve, up to 6 people per table will be allowed.
- For Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, restaurants will be open until 1:00am (with curfew starting at 1:30am on those nights).
Cultural activities
- Access will be controlled to avoid congestion, with prior registration or booking also being used.
- Priority will be given to outdoor activities and, if this is not possible, pre-allocation of seats will be required.
- Christmas "parcs" (special holiday play parks for children) or similar will not be allowed.
Sports activities
- Non-professional competitions will be allowed if, given the characteristics of the activity, the maximum number of participants together at one time is 10 people or less.
Acting Catalan president Pere Aragonès outlines the Christmas plan today in Parliament.