The Basque Government will declare today, Monday, once again the health emergency situation in the CAV due to the increase in coronavirus infections that are occurring in the community, which will lead to the adoption this Tuesday of new restrictive measures to stop the spread of the virus in relationship with capacity, groups of people and hospitality.

This health emergency situation responds, as explained by the Basque Government itself, to “strictly sanitary” reasons and it establishes a legal framework in which it is allowed to assume and implement concrete measures, according to the needs of each moment.

This decision has been motivated by the increase that has been taking place in the number of infections in the Basque Country. The latest data released this Sunday, collect a total of 610 new cases of COVID-19, which is 35% more than the previous day. Hospitalizations are also increasing and, at this moment, there are 163 people admitted for COVID-19 in the ward and 14 patients in ICUs.

The Executive already resorted to this legal tool in the first weeks of March to cope with the pandemic. It was on the 13th of that month when the Lehendakari, in a public appearance, declared a health emergency to face the health crisis.

In this sense, the Minister of Economic Development and Infrastructures of the Basque Government, Arantxa Tapia, stated this Saturday that it is necessary to “go down a step” in the so-called “new normal”, and new restrictive measures are urgently needed because the situation “is worsening “.

The objectives of this new scenario With new restrictions they will be to avoid stressing the health system, avoid a second lockdown like the one experienced in March and finally, try to learn to live with the virus, as long as there is no treatment or a vaccine.

Measures

Once the health emergency has been declared, this will immediately allow the Security Minister, Estefanía Beltrán de Heredia, to activate the LABI-Euskadi Civil Protection Plan, whose direction and coordination will be assumed again by the Lehendakari himself, Iñigo Urkullu .

The first meeting of the committee that makes up the LABI will take place on Tuesday, the 18th will adopt new restrictive measures to stop the spread of the virus. The measures will be in line with the restriction of capacity, grouping of people, hotel hours, and the adaptation of public transport at night.

In addition, the measures agreed unanimously in the inter-territorial council of Health will be incorporated, which established the prohibition of smoking on public roads or in the open air if two meters of safety distance cannot be kept.

Likewise, it was agreed to close all discos, dance halls and bars with and without live performances, a decision that was known the same day that the TSJPV had extended the hours for the closure of leisure establishments night -pub until three o’clock and discos until five o’clock-, which will only be in force until be published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) the measures adopted in the inter-territorial council.

Navarra: restrictions are approved on Wednesday

For its part, Navarra will approve this Wednesday in a government session the 11 measures and recommendations that the Spanish Ministry of Health and the autonomous communities agreed on Friday to deal with the coronavirus outbreaks. Once normatively adapted by means of a Provincial Decree Law, They will come into force after their publication in the Official Gazette of Navarra..

Restrictions and recommendations in seven areas -Nightlife, hospitality, social health centers, mass events, specific screening and the consumption of alcohol and tobacco- must be approved and officially published by each autonomous administration to proceed with their implementation.

La Rioja and Murcia are the two communities that already keep these measures active, which will come into effect next midnight in Galicia, Castilla y León and Cantabria.