CORONAVIRUS NEWS IN MARBELLA

A simple breakdown of what you can or cannot do during the lock-down in Spain. Of course, this is all subject to change.

All retail activity is suspended apart from businesses selling foodstuffs, pharmacies, tobacconists, suppliers of IT equipment, newsstands and dry cleaners from Monday, 16th of March 2020. People are not allowed to leave their homes except to get supplies or for exceptional reasons. Police have been given the powers to stop and question people found outside and in vehicles using public roads.

Public transport will not be shut down, although it will be reduced by fifty percent.

Employees are to work from home where possible.

You may only travel for certain reasons, these include:

*To return to your primary place of residence
*To visit needy relatives or vulnerable people you are responsible for
*To visit the doctor or hospital. Do not leave the house to go to the hospital if you have symptoms of the coronavirus but stay at home in quarantine and if the symptoms become severe then contact your regional hotline. For Marbella, the number is 900 400 061
*To visit financial institutions for ATM
*Force majeure or to carry out an unspecified activity that can be justified as a valid reason
*To get food supplies

Parks, beaches, playgrounds and cultural spaces are all closed. You can be fined if found using them.

The state of alert will be in place for 15 days but could be extended with the permission of Spain’s parliament.

There is no need to stockpile beyond buying enough to last the household for a week at a time because the supplies are not threatened.

All of Spain’s police forces have the power to stop vehicles on public roads to check their purpose of being there.

The state of alert does not mean that Spain’s borders will automatically be closed but as of today, Monday, 16th of March 2020, the land borders between Spain / Portugal and Spain / France have been closed. There is a host of cancellations by airlines with many cancelling flights altogether indefinitely.