Costa del Sol follows Greece with nightlife curfew – forcing restaurants & bars to close and 1am to curb coronavirus

THE Costa del Sol comes under a new curfew from today, as a new raft of regulations swing into action to try and stem the flow of coronavirus outbreaks.

Restaurants and bars will now have to close at 1am and no new customers can be accepted after midnight. 

Events planned for the rest of the summer can go-ahead but they too must observe the 1am curfew, and under Spain's new directives, clubs and cocktail bars cannot open at all.

The new restrictions also prohibit smoking in public places unless social distancing of at least two metres can be observed and capacity limits are being slashed in restaurants and bars.

Andalusia's regional government has warned of tough fines if the coronavirus rules are broken and closure of premises if necessary.

A new order published on Sunday came into force at midnight and affects the whole of the Costa del Sol and the rest of Andalusia which also includes Seville, Almeria, Cadiz and Granada. 

But it is the Malaga/Marbella area which will feel the major force of the new regulations given its number of hotels, restaurants, pubs and clubs and its huge popularity with tourists, including any Brits who still want to holiday despite the UK's 14-day quarantine on their return. 

The population of Andalusia is more than eight million.

The new order states that hospitality establishments cannot exceed 75 per cent of the maximum capacity  inside the premises but this reduces to 60 per cent for those with music. 

If they are exclusively dedicated to the consumption of alcohol, their opening will not be authorised at all.

There can be no drinking at the bar and tables can only hold a maximum occupancy of ten people. 

Regarding mass events, a risk assessment must be carried out by the health authority and if they get the go-ahead, the 1am closing time must also be kept to.

"Smoking is not allowed on public roads or in outdoor spaces when a minimum interpersonal distance of at least two metres cannot be respected," says the order. 

"This limitation will also apply to the use of any other tobacco inhalation device, water pipes, hookahs or similar ones, including electronic cigarettes or vaping."

Local residents are being urged to confine get-togethers to family members and to limit these to a maximum of ten people.

Seville is seeing the majority of new coronavirus outbreaks, followed by Malaga, with at least 36 new outbreaks on the Costa del Sol.

Many of the cases in the region are being linked to nightlife.

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