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Vol. 5 Issue 129 www.theolivepress.es August 19th - September 1st 2020
Last orders
GIBRALTAR residents heading across the border will need to know of new Spanish coronavirus restrictions. A ban on smoking in outdoor areas where you cannot social distance is one new measure. The move is aimed at halting the rise of cases, Minister Salvador Illa said. Under new nightlife regulations, all restaurants and bars with food licences must close at 1am with a final entry at midnight. Additionally, restaurants can only be 75% full with a maximum of 10 people per table and diners must keep 1.5m away from other groups. Meanwhile, nightclubs and bars without a food licence must remain closed entirely. Restaurants and bars with a cafe licence - the vast majority - can open.
Tests
Care homes have also been affected by the measures. New residents and staff returning from holidays must have a PCR test for symptoms.Visitors are only permitted to see their loved ones for one hour, one person at a time, unless the patient is near the end of their life. Illa instructed Spain’s 17 autonomous communities to bring in the new measures with some provinces adding additional rules. In Marbella, beaches will close at 9.30pm with people being allowed until 10pm to leave to leave the beach. In the Balearic Islands, boat and pool parties have been banned, places of worship limited to 50% capacity and any protest or gathering of more than 300 people now requires approval from the Health Ministry.
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Virus returns COVID cases on the rise with tally at highest since April
GIBRALTAR could declare another major incident after the COVID-19 Platinum Command announced cases are rising steadily. The number of active COVID-19 cases was 22 at going to press, the highest local tally since mid-April. This increase occurred as lock-
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down restrictions were relaxed this month when the number of active cases was brought down to zero, According to the Gibraltar Government, the new cases were brought on by UK visitors and locals visiting Spain in August. Two of the active cases are visitors to the Rock, with the other 20 being residents. In response ALL AREAS COVERED to this threat, the Platinum 4G UNLIMITED Command met to INTERNET discuss IDEAL FOR whether
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to declare another Major Incident. Government ministers, the new governor and Commander British Forces agreed to meet more often in the future. It followed another meeting by the Civil Contingencies Committee the day before. In his last live press conference the Chief Minister said that a Major Incident was unlikely to be declared until autumn but he is now changing his tune. “Platinum Command will continue to meet on a regular basis in order to maintain an oversight over the evolution of the pandemic in Gibraltar should it be necessary to once again declare a Major Incident,” said Chief Minister Fabian Picardo. “In this way we will ensure that we are once again ready in the event that difficult decisions need to be taken going forward.”
Mobile testing areas have increased the aggressive swabbing programme started by the government. Mobile testing continues at the Piazza, followed by three consecutive days at Morrison’s supermarket. The government once again warned the public not to expose their loved ones and especially the elderly, to unnecessary physical contact. Not one person has died in Gibraltar from the virus and none of the current cases are hospitalised. Primary Care services are coming back online ‘slowly and with a flexible approach’, according to the authorities. “Services cannot simply be fully restored in keeping with a pre-set deadline,” said the Gibraltar Government. “They cannot be carried out without constant reassessments of the situation locally, regionally and globally. “Patients can expect to see face-to-face appointments and the return of established booking systems for the Primary Care See page 16 Centre shortly.” All health services were stopped in March when all staff were directed to handle a large breakout.
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