Sánchez cools talk of a curfew at national level

The prime minister cooled talk of applying a curfew at a national level, at least for now. Earlier, the health minister, Salvador Illa, said that the government was giving consideration to this, explaining that it would require decreeing a state of alarm and that it would be necessary to know what level of support there would be among political parties for extending it beyond fifteen days (if this were felt to be appropriate). As with the state of alarm between March and June, the government, once it declares the initial fifteen days, is required to go to Congress in order to get approval for extensions.

Sánchez said that there will be a meeting on Thursday of the Inter-territorial Council of the National Health System (CISNS) at which the Madrid proposal will be discussed and also at which it is planned to gain agreement between central and regional governments as to what measures should be put in place in each region, dependent upon the epidemiological situation. There will be a system of phases and "traffic lights" to guide "recommendations" for dealing with the spread of the virus.

Lending weight to the possibility of there being regional decisions on curfews rather than a national approach, the Balearic government said that it is not currently considering asking for a curfew. Measures adopted in the Balearics have been "more restrictive" than in other regions, and "the figures support continuing with controlled limitations that do not require a curfew". In this regard, President Armengol announced on Tuesday that social gatherings in Mallorca and Ibiza are to be limited to six people rather than ten.