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The Junta de Andalucía has lifted the harsh restrictions imposed on January 11; the “incidence” rate of Covid-19 has come down from 2,551 per 100,000 inhabitants (3 weeks ago), to 506. However, the municipal perimeter closure and curfew remain.
La Línea has seen a flattening of the Covid-19 curve, although this has been at a great cost. This Saturday, February 13th; bars, restaurants and “non-essential” shops which had been forced to close on January 11th will be able to open their doors.
This was announced on Friday 12th February by the Andalusian Department of Health following a meeting with the committee of experts who advise the Junta de Andalucía on what measures should be adopted. La Línea, as from 00:00 this Saturday, will move from Alert Level 4 Grade 2 to Grade 1.
This means that the hospitality industry and the so-called “non-essential” businesses will reopen for business after a few incredibly tough weeks. However, a time limit has been implemented and they will need to close at 6PM – capacity restrictions and hygiene measures continue.
In a strange move, the Junta de Andalucía has also made it illegal to sell alcohol as from 6PM throughout the autonomous community.
La Línea will still be subjected to a municipal perimeter closure because it has not yet reached an incidence ratio of lower than 500 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
“Essential” businesses can continue to remain open until 9:30 PM and the curfew remains in place, i.e., as from 10PM – 6AM.
These measures will remain in place for the next 7 days from 00:00 on Saturday, February 13th until Friday 19th.
Despite having flattened the curve, which has undoubtedly been helped by practically all of 12,300 students in La Línea having been forced to study from home since January 11th, the Mayor of La Línea says we cannot let our guard down. Juan Franco also said that so long as a downward trend continues, a “sense of normality” will be able to resume.
In fact, as reported this week by the City Council, the incidence of cases among school children in La Línea has dropped considerably since the peak during mid-January, when 1,017 students were forced to isolate due to being direct contacts with positive cases. Last Wednesday, the number of cases fell to 430 students, which suggests that the curve is indeed flattening, although there is still talk of a “fourth wave”.
The Education Department has supported a cautious and progressive return to school due to the lowering of infections in the area.
As for the general population, the same old rules and advice apply: Using masks and sanitiser, avoid crowds and “obey the rules”.
In relation to the market, which has remained open due to its “essential” classification, the City Council has reported that the mobile stalls that are normally placed around the market will be able to resume activity at 50% capacity.
In relation to the Campo de Gibraltar as a whole (Algeciras, Los Barrios, Tarifa, San Roque and Jimena de la Frontera) continue to endure perimeter closures but will be able to open up “non-essential” businesses due to the fact that the figure has fallen below 1,000 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Castellar, however, will not be allowed to recommence “non-essential” activity, because, as of this Friday, it has an incidence rate of 1,046.8 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
The Latest Covid Figures
As of this Friday, the Junta de Andalucía has reported 126 new positive cases and 5 deaths in the Campo de Gibraltar. These new infections have been found in Algeciras (102), La Línea (12), Los Barros (7), San Roque (2), Tarifa (1) and Castellar (1).
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Campo de Gibraltar has registered a total of 16,985 Covid cases and 376 deaths. Throughout the Campo de Gibraltar there are currently 7,834 active cases.
