The Barcelona healthcare region, which includes the entire metropolitan area as of 1 June, has new measures which give people more freedom to get around and do things and more freedom for shops and businesses to open. In all cases, people should continue with protective measures and follow the advice issued by the health authorities to avoid new infections, such as the use of face masks, minimum safety distances of two metres, handwashing and hygiene measures established for commerce and hotels.

What new measures does stage 2 of the lockdown exit establish?

Meeting up with others, walks and non-professional sport

The intermediate stage allows people to meet up with friends and relatives in groups of up to 15 people within the same healthcare region, to walk or to do non-contact sports. The one-kilometre restriction has now been eliminated and children can go out for more than an hour.

Time slots for children and the under-70s have been eliminated and they can now go out to walk or to do sport at any time of day except the priority times for the over-70s, which remain unchanged, from 10 to 12 noon and from 7 pm to 8 pm.

In terms of mobility, while it is now permitted to get around within the entire healthcare region, people are advised only to do so for essential journeys.

Bars and restaurants open

Restrictions on bars and restaurant terraces are the same as those established in stage 1, allowing for establishments to open up to 50% of their outdoor capacity. Stage 2 also allows customers to go inside, up to a maximum capacity of 40%. However, it is not permitted to have a drink or eat at the bar, and customers should sit at tables, preferably with a reservation.

Users can order takeaway food from the establishment, with self-service only allowed if there is a protective screen and individual dishes or rations.

Beaches

The beaches are open without any time restrictions and users can do sport there, sunbathe and have a swim, respecting the minimum two-metre distance at all times. Rescue, lifeguard and information services are open from 10.30 am to 7.30 pm.

Outdoor showers and foot-washing facilities at the beaches can be used individually and each beach has a public toilet.

The Barcelona beaches website provides updated information on the occupancy level at the beaches and users are advised to check it to find out which beaches have more space available. Access to the beaches is via the signposted points.

Establishments in shopping centres

Commercial establishments can now open regardless of how much floor space they have. Maximum capacity is restricted to 40% and priority times must be established for the over-65s. There must also be a collection system for items bought online.

Shopping centres can open in this stage, limiting capacity to 30% in communal areas and 40% inside establishments. Communal areas are only for getting from one place to another and rest and recreation areas are closed.

Wakes and farewell ceremonies

Measures for wakes and burials have been eased. Wakes can be conducted with a maximum of 25 people outdoors and 15 indoors, not necessarily from the same household. Burials can be attended by up to 25 people besides the person conducting the funeral.

Sports facilities

Many of the city’s open-air sports facilities are opening with up to 30% of their capacity. These include urban sports parks with petanque pitches, basketball hoops and table-tennis tables, along with specific outdoor facilities for padel and tennis, the climbing tunnel at La Foixarda and beach facilities such as the Espai de Mar, the Municipal Nautical Base and the Municipal Sailing Centre.

In addition, stage 2 means that activity will also gradually resume at the following facilities in the coming days:

• Athletics tracks such as the Estadi Municipal Joan Serrahima, the Pista Municipal Atletisme Parc del Migdia-CEM Pau Negre, the CEM Can Dragó and the CEM La Mar Bella.
• Facilities in Montjuïc, such as the Escola Municipal d’Hípica La Foixarda, the Club d’Agility Ciutat Comtal and the Camp Municipal de Tir amb Arc.
• Covered facilities for specific sports such as the Velòdrom Municipal d’Horta Miquel Poblet, the Pistes Municipals d’Aeromodelisme de Montjuïc, the Centre Municipal d’Escalada La Foixarda, the Centre Municipal de Tennis de Taula Reina Elisenda, the Centre Municipal d’Esgrima Reina Elisenda and La Campa de Vall d’Hebron.

In all cases, the facilities are only for non-contact sports, with changing rooms not to be used and no spectators allowed. For updated information on the measures established for culture go to the website ensensortirem.barcelona.

Public transport

As from 8 June there are some new changes in public transport services and conditions of use to help get sustainable mobility back on track.

• Metro services are now operating at 100%, with trains running from 5 am to midnight every day including on Fridays and Saturday.
• The bus network has upped its service levels to 85%.
• Passengers can use all seats.
• Authorised musicians are also back, with the adoption of preventive measures agreed with the association AMUC BCN. Musicians will only be at seven metro stations which satisfy the spatial needs to ensure distancing.

With regard to safety and prevention measures, face masks are still obligatory, and handwashing required before and after journeys. In addition, TMB has adopted strict protocols on daily cleaning and disinfection of vehicles and user space.

During stage 1 of the lockdown exit process, the number of users of public transport went up by 54%, with 225,000 more users per day.