No Travel For Easter As Madrid Promotes “Home” Tourism
Spain’s Inter-Territorial Council of the National Health System (CISNS), the body that coordinates the country’s 17 autonomous regional health authorities with the central government´s Ministry of Health has agreed to maintain intra-community travel restrictions over the upcoming San Jose long weekend and Easter holiday.
The agreement in an effort to contain the coronavirus infection rate will ensure that all the country´s regions will have “mandatory” border lockdowns in place for the periods March 17th-21st and March 26th- April 9th.
In addition the Council recommended against any type of public events and for internal regional restrictions to remain in place over the holiday period.
The Canary and Balearic islands are not included in the measures but no tourists will be allowed to enter the archipelagos. Travel to these regions will only be permitted for returning to one’s regular place of residence, for medical tests, work, care of adults with disabilities or to take exams.
Negative coronavirus tests are required for such journeys. “We want to make clear that you cannot go to the islands for tourism,” said the Health Minister, Carolina Darias.
The Madrid regional government of Isabel Diaz Ayuso voted against the measures and will not be imposing any additional controls or check-points.
Indeed the government has launched a “home” tourism promotion for the region´s 6 million inhabitants to “rediscover” both it´s capital and the attractions in the autonomous community.
Diaz Ayuso highlighted the “charming” villages of the Sierra as well as the historical centre of Madrid.
She went on to say that the border restrictions should be an opportunity and citizens in the region should use this as an opportunity to support the still struggling tourism industry.
The regional restrictions remain in place including the nighttime curfew and limits on social gatherings of a maximum in closed public spaces and six in open spaces.
In private spaces, only members of the same household can meet.
International visitors will be subject to the restrictions in place but will be able to travel to both mainland Spain and the islands.
The European Union advises against international travel whilst Spain maintains bans on visitors from the UK due to the British variant of the Covid-19 coronavirus.
In addition the UK has substancial restrictions on international travel which includes a ban on travelling internationally for holidays as well as a need for a 10 day quarantine on return.
