News for expats on COVID-19 - update 21.05.2020

We would like to remember to everybody that as of today it is a mandatory for all persons from 6 years on to wear mouthmasks wherever it is not possible, on the street and/or closed spaces, to guarantee the “social distance” of 2 meters. There are exceptions for people who practice sports and for people with physical problems. During these first days the police will advice and inform citizens, if necessary, in case mouthmasks are not been worn, but in a few days it will be possible that they give fines starting by 600 €.

The “Comunidad Valenciana” has no intention to request the Ministry of Health for permission to pass on the 25th of May to phase 2. They do this because they want to be careful as there are several places in the region that have only been in phase 1 for a week and therefore they prefer to wait another week, until the 1st of June, to pass to phase 2.

The Owners Communities could use this extra week in phase 1 to prepare their pools and communal areas as passing to phase 2 means, among other things, that the swimmingpools can be used again. It seems that the idea is that to access the communal pools one must make an appointment and so the allowed maximum 30% of the capacity will not be exceed. There will be also a maximum time to stay in the communal areas. It is up to the Community to make a planning of how to use the zones and create a visible distribution on the ground with the obliged 2 meters distance. It will also be obliged to disinfect every day before opening the zones of the whole area with water and bleech and it will be forbidden to use the showers of the changing-rooms.