Could the reopening of nightlife in Spain could lead to a surge in COVID-19 infections?
MADRID takes another step towards normality today, with nightclubs set to remain open until 3am for the first time in months. The capital follows several other clubbing hotspots, including Marbella on the Costa del Sol, which has extended clubbing hours to 2am. Across Andalucia, people are allowed to dance with a mask and stay out in pubs and discotheques until 2am. In Galicia nightlife venues are still closed to the public, and currently scheduled to open from July 1. Over the weekend The Balearic Islands allowed cocktail bars to stay open until 2am but dancing is still not authorized and the consumption of drinks must be done at the table. In the Canaries nightlife has been open until 2am since last Friday (June 18). Cantabria is the only community in Spain that has not set limits. All bars and nightclubs are allowed to open as per their license, without any additional restrictions. However Cantabrias lack of restrictions has not been entirely well received, particularly following a surge in infection rates across the region over the weekend. The region on the north coast of Spain has seen infections soar in the last 24 hours. Some 95 people tested positive for coronavirus yesterday, more than double the number of people infected on Saturday. The Cantabrian community had not registered such a high number of infections in 24 hours since the beginning of May. The spike in cases coincided with students in the region celebrating their end-of-year exams and there are worries a similar pattern will emerge across Spain as youngsters celebrate school and university coming to an end by partying into the early hours. Earlier this month, Spains ministry of health had proposed to the 17 regional governments that they could permit bars and nightclubs, which have been closed since August 2020, to stay open until 3am under certain restrictions. These include capacity limits, air ventilation measures and no less than a 70% vaccination rate being achieved in the region. Under the plan, which was approved by a narrow margin at a regional summit, regions with a 14-day infection rate below 50 cases per 100,000 people will be able to open nightclubs until 3 a.m. In regions deemed to be medium risk, where infections are trending downwards  the case for most of the country  venues may also open but capacity is limited to 30%. The new measures, which have now been written into law, will remain in place until 70% of the Spanish population has been fully vaccinated. All over-50s must have also been vaccinated before measures are further relaxed. The country is expected to reach its aim on both by mid-August. READ MORE: