25/10/2020
Pedro Sánchez, president of the Government of Spain has announced in a press conference that the State of Alarm in the entirety of Spain is a possibility, and this week will be voted and approved in Congress.
The extraordinary Council of Ministers this Sunday has decided on a new 15-day state of alarm for all of Spain that it intends to extend for the next six months if Congress approves it, according to the Government in the text of the decree. The decision requires a mandatory curfew for the entire country ***from 11pm to 6am.*** In addition to nighttime confinement, the restriction of social gatherings and the prohibition of going from one autonomous community to another is established except for justified reasons such as going to work or to the doctor.
These measures are currently only approved for 15 days. The authority delegated in the application of the state of alarm rests with the regional presidents, who ***may advance or delay the curfew by one hour*** but not eliminate it. Spain limits mobility as much as possible but will not close borders and sets exceptions for the Canary Islands, for example, one of the communities with the best data, to save tourism as much as possible.
For those confused, at the moment movement between provinces and autonomous communities is still permitted. Unless you live in a ‘confined’ area in which no one can leave or enter. But for the rest of Spain at the moment movement between different areas is still permitted.**
This will come into effect within the next few days.
And will last 15 days, and can be renewed.
‼️ But don’t worry! This State of Alarm cannot be compared to what we lived throughout March and April. This does not mean ‘lockdown’ nor ‘total confinement’. ‼️
So what exactly is the State of Alarm and why has it been announced? Here we have tried to explain as clearly as we can so that the words ‘State of Alarm’ aren’t taken out of context:
➡️ Declaration of State of Alarm
The declaration of the state of alarm is carried out by decree agreed in the Council of Ministers. The law states that this decree has to determine the territorial areas, the duration and the effects of the state of alarm, which may not exceed fifteen days, but can be renewed. It may only be extended with the express authorization of the Congress of Deputies, which in this case may establish the areas and conditions in force during the extension.
For the declaration of the state of alarm, all the civil authorities of the Public Administration of the territory affected by the declaration, the members of the different Police organisations of the Autonomous Communities and the Local Corporations, and the other officials and workers at their service “Will be under the direct orders of the competent authority as necessary for the protection of people, goods and places, being able to impose extraordinary services due to their duration or their nature".
➡️ So what kind of regulations/measures can be approved under State of Alarm? (THESE ARE THINGS THAT *CAN* BE APPROVED UNDER A STATE OF ALARM, THEY ARE NOT THINGS CURRENTLY APPROVED. It’s an example of things that COULD be approved)
The decree declaring the state of alarm, or the successive ones that are issued during its validity, may agree on the following measures:
a) Limit the movement or permanence of people or vehicles at certain times and places, or condition them to comply with certain requirements.
b) Carry out temporary requisitions of all types of property and impose mandatory personal benefits.
c) Intervene and temporarily occupy industries, factories, workshops, farms or premises of any nature, with the exception of private homes, reporting this to the interested Ministries.
d) Limit or ration the use of services or the consumption of basic necessities.
👉🏻 So, this State of Alarm does not mean that we are in ‘Lockdown’. It’s just a measure imposed by the government to be able to approve the regulations that are being announced in different Autonomous Communities these last few days, e.g. the Curfew etc. **Movement between autonomous communities at the moment is STILL PERMITTED.** Unless of course you live in a ‘confined’ area in which you can’t leave.
Translation by Phoebe Liddiard /
N332. Shared with permission from Phoebe Liddiard.
