Covid-19

Application of phase 1 in the Plan for the transition to a new normality.

9th May 2020

Order SND / 399/2020, of May 9th, for the relaxation of certain national restrictions, stablished after the declaration of the state of alarm for the application of phase 1 in the plan for the transition to a new normality.

The purpose of this order is to establish the conditions for the relaxation of certain national restrictions established by the state of alarm and it specifically outlines the application of phase 1 in the Plan for the transition to a new normality.

Hygiene and prevention measures.

Whenever possible, it is encouraged for those workers who can carry out their work activity remotely to continue to do so.

Hygiene and / or preventive measures for personnel working in the activities included in this order.

As well as the standard occupational risk prevention regulations and working regulations, the business owner or the director of the educational centres and entities included in this order must adopt the necessary measures to comply with the hygiene and / or prevention measures for the personnel.

They must ensure that all workers have permanently available hydro-alcoholic gels or disinfectants in the workplace that are authorized and registered by the Ministry of Health for hand cleaning, or when this is not possible, water and soap. Likewise, there must be a safety distance of approximately two meters; if this cannot be guaranteed, then they must ensure that workers have adequate protective equipment for the level of risk and they must be trained and informed on the correct use of the aforementioned protective equipment.

The fingerprint transfer must be replaced by any other time control system that guarantees adequate hygiene measures to protect the health and safety of workers, or the recording device must be disinfected before and after each use, warning workers of this measure.

The arrangement of the jobs, the organization of shifts and the rest of the existing working conditions in the work centre, entities, premises and establishments must be modified accordingly to guarantee the possibility of maintaining the minimum safety distance of two meters between workers. Likewise, the distance measures provided in this order must be complied with, where appropriate, in the workers’ locker rooms, lockers and toilets, as well as in any other area of common use.

If a worker begins to have symptoms of the COVID-19 virus, then you must immediately call the telephone number provided by autonomous community or corresponding health centre. Whenever possible, the worker will put on a mask, and must leave their job until their medical situation is evaluated by a health professional.

Any and all necessary measures must be taken to avoid the gathering groups of people that prevent the social distancing stipulated in this order.

Hygiene measures required for the activities provided for in this order.

The business owner or, where applicable, the director of the educational centres and entities must ensure that the appropriate cleaning and disinfection measures are carried out for the centres, entities, premises and establishments to be used.

In cleaning tasks, special attention will be paid to common use areas and the most frequent contact surfaces such as door knobs, tables, furniture, handrails, floors, telephones, hangers, and other elements with similar characteristics, in accordance with the following guidelines:

a) Use special disinfectants authorised by the Health Ministry or bleach diluted with water at a ratio of 1:50 to be freshly prepared to clean.

b) After each cleaning, the materials used and the protective equipment used will be disposed of safely, and the hands will be washed afterwards. These cleaning measures will also be extended, where appropriate, to private areas of workers, such as locker rooms, lockers, toilets, kitchens and rest areas. Likewise, when there are jobs shared by more than one worker, the work area will be cleaned and disinfected after the end of each use, with special attention to furniture and other items that have been handled.

If uniforms or work clothes are used, they will be washed and disinfected daily, and they must be washed mechanically in washing cycles between 60 and 90 degrees Celsius. In those cases where uniform or work clothes are not used, the garments used by workers in contact with clients or visitors, must also be washed in the same conditions.

All facilities must be ventilated frequently during the day, at least, daily and for five minutes.

There must be limited use of elevators or forklifts in the workplace, premises and establishments provided for in this order. When it is necessary to use them, the maximum occupancy of them will be one person, unless it is possible to guarantee the separation of two meters between them, or in those cases of people who may require assistance, in which case their use will also be permitted companion.

When in accordance with the provisions of this order the use of the toilets is allowed by clients, visitors or users, its maximum occupation will be one person, except in those cases of people who may require assistance, in which case the use will also be allowed by his companion. These toilets must be cleaned and disinfected at least six times a day.

Payment with credit card payment is encouraged avoiding where possible, the use of cash. The equipment used for the credit card payments must be cleaned and disinfected after each use.

There should be bins, if possible with a lid and a pedal, in which you can deposit tissues and any other disposable material. These bins should be cleaned frequently, and at least once a day.

Relaxation of social measures.

It is possible to travel within the province, island or territorial unit. Also national territory if the journey can be justified for health, work, professional or business reasons, returning to the place of family residence, assistance and care for the elderly, dependents or people with disabilities, causes of force majeure or a situation of need or any other of a similar nature.

All security measures must be respected particularly the social distancing of 2 metres and hand washing. Maximum number of 10 people, except for those people living together.

Any wake may be held different types of facilities, public or private, with a maximum number of fifteen people at any time in open spaces or ten people in closed spaces, whether or not they live together.

The burial or farewell for cremation of the deceased person is restricted to a maximum of fifteen people, including family and friends, in addition to, the minister of worship or similar person carrying out the ceremony. All safety and hygiene measures must be respected.

Conditions for the reopening of retail establishments and commercial premises and similar services to the public.

The Re-opening of retail establishments, commercial premises and similar services.

All retail establishments, commercial premises and professional service activities whose activity was suspended after the declaration of the state of alarm on 14th March may re-open to the public provided they have a working space that does not exceed 400 square meters. This does not apply to who are inside parks or shopping centres without direct and independent access from the outside. If in a park or shopping centre and the establishment as direct and independent access then they must comply with all of the following requirements:

a) The total occupancy must be reduced to thirty percent. If there are several floors in the commercial centre then customers on each floor must not exceed the thirty percent. At all times, social distancing of two metres must be guaranteed. In commercial premises where it is not possible to maintain this distance, only one customer in each establishment will be permitted.

b) A time with priority service for those over 65 years of age must be established.

Car dealers, ITV stations, garden centres and plant nurseries may also re-open to the public, but appointment only, regardless of their square metres.

Likewise, public gaming concession entities (Lottery) at the state level may reopen to the public, with the exception of those located within shopping centres or commercial parks that do not have direct and independent access from outside.

All establishments and premises that may reopen to the public in accordance with this order should, where appropriate, create systems for the collection of products purchased over the phone or online, provided they guarantee a staggered collection to avoid crowds inside the premises or their access.

A preferential home delivery service may be established for certain groups.

Town Councils may decide to re-open the outdoor markets so long as they communicate this decision to the competent health authority of the Autonomous Community, giving preference to those of food and staple products and ensuring that these products marketed cannot be touched by consumers. The Town Halls will establish distance requirements between the market stalls with the aim of guaranteeing safety and social distancing.

There will be a limit of twenty-five percent of the usual or authorized positions and an influx of less than a third of the usual capacity will be guaranteed, alternatively, the area authorized for the market may be increased but still respecting the limits.

Hygiene measures required for those establishments and premises that can open to the public.

At least twice a day, cleaning and disinfection of the facilities must be carried out with special attention to the most frequent contact surfaces such as door knobs, counters, furniture, handrails, vending machines, floors, telephones, hangers, cars and baskets, taps, and other elements with similar characteristics, according to the following guidelines:

a) One of the cleanings will be carried out, at the end of the day.

b) The cleaning and disinfection instructions provided earlier in this order must be applied. A break during the opening hours must be applied where this time is dedicated to cleaning and restocking, preferably at noon. The closing times for cleaning will be duly communicated to the consumer via visible signage or messages via a megaphone system.

Likewise, there must be cleaning and disinfection of workstations at each shift change, with special attention to counters and tables or other elements of the stalls in flea markets, partitions, keyboards, payment terminals, touch screens, tools and other elements susceptible to manipulation, paying special attention to those used by more than one worker.

If there is more than one worker attending the public, then the cleaning measures must be extended not only to the commercial area, but also, where appropriate, to the workers’ private areas, such as changing rooms, lockers, toilets, kitchens and rest areas.

The cleaning of toilets, taps and door knobs of the toilets in retail establishments and commercial premises will be reviewed at least once a day.

Vending machines, self-service laundries and similar activities, must ensure compliance with the appropriate hygiene and disinfection measures for both the machines and the premises, as well as inform users of its correct use by installing informative signage.

The toilets of commercial establishments will not be used by clients, except in cases where it is strictly necessary. In the latter case, the toilets, taps and door knobs will be cleaned immediately.

Hygiene and / or preventive measures for the personnel in businesses open to the public.

The distance between the vendor or service provider and the customer during the entire

customer service process will be at least one meter when there are protection or barrier elements, or approximately two meters without these elements. Likewise, the distance between the stalls of the open-air markets and the pedestrians will be two meters at all times.

When services do not allow the safety distance, such as hairdressing salons, beauty centres or physiotherapy, the appropriate protective equipment must be used according to the level of risk that ensures the protection of both the worker and the client, having to ensure at all times the distance of two meters between one client and another.

Measures related to the hygiene of customers inside establishments and premises and in open-air markets.

The time spent in each establishment must be considered what is strictly necessary for client to make their purchase or receive the service provided.

It must be clearly indicated the two-meter social distancing between customers, with marks on the ground, or through the use of beacons, signage and signage for those cases in which the individualized attention of more than one client is possible at the same time, which cannot be carried out simultaneously by the same employee.

There must be public dispensers of hydro-alcoholic gels or disinfectants authorized and registered by the Ministry of Health, installed at the entrance to the premises.

In establishments and commercial premises, as well as open-air markets or non-sedentary sales on public roads, which have self-service areas, the service must be provided by a worker from the establishment or market, in order to avoid direct manipulation by customers of the products.

Test products not intended for sale such as cosmetics, perfumery products, and the like that involve direct handling by successive customers may not be made available to customers.

The fitting rooms in shops in the commercial textile sector, clothing and similar, must only be used by a single person at a time and must be cleaned and disinfected after each use.

Should a customer try on a garment that he/she doe not subsequently purchase, the owner of the establishment will implement measures so that the garment is sanitized before it is available to other customers. This measure will also be applicable to garments returned by customers.

Measures regarding occupancy for establishments and premises open to the public.

Establishments and premises must display their maximum occupancy to the public and ensure social distancing of two meters inside. A system must be established to be able to count and control the occupancy, so that it is not exceeded at any time. This occupancy must also include the workers themselves.

In establishments and commercial premises that have their own car parks for their employees and customers, when access to the facilities, the readers of tickets and employee cards could not be carried out automatically without contact, this will be replaced by manual control and continuous by the security personnel, for better monitoring of the capacity regulations. These personnel will also supervise compliance with the standards of staggered arrival and departure of employees to and from their workplace, according to the shifts established by the centre. In your case, and unless strict security reasons recommend otherwise, the doors that are in the path between the parking lot and the access to the store or the employees’ changing rooms will remain open to avoid manipulation of the opening mechanisms.

Conditions for the reopening of terraces in hotels and restaurants.

The open-air terraces in hotels and restaurants may be reopened to the public, limiting themselves to fifty percent of the tables that were allowed in the previous year in accordance with the corresponding municipal license. Social distancing of at least two metres must be maintained.

For the purposes of this order, open terraces shall be considered any uncovered space or any space that, being covered, is laterally surrounded by a maximum of two walls.

If the hotel or restaurant obtains permission from the City Council to increase the area for the outdoor terrace, the number of tables provided in the previous section may be increased, respecting at all times, the limit of fifty percent and distancing between tables.

The maximum occupation will be ten people per table or group of tables. The table or group of tables used for this purpose must be in accordance with the number of people, respecting the social distancing.

Hygiene and / or prevention measures for the service provided on the terrace.

a) Cleaning and disinfection of the terrace equipment, in particular tables, chairs, as well as any other contact surface, between one client and another.

b) The use of single-use tablecloths will be prioritized. If this is not possible, the use of the same tablecloths with different clients should be avoided, opting for materials and solutions that facilitate their change between services and their mechanical washing in washing cycles between 60 and 90 degrees centigrade.

c) Dispensers of hydro-alcoholic gels or disinfectants authorized and registered by the Ministry of Health must be made available to the public, always provided at the entrance of the establishment or premises, which must always be in working conditions.

d) The use of menus must be avoided, opting for the use of own electronic devices, blackboards, posters or other similar means.

e) Utensils, such as crockery, glassware, cutlery or tablecloths, among others, will be stored in closed rooms and, if this is not possible, far from areas where customers and workers pass by.

f) Self-service products such as napkin rings, toothpicks, vinegar and oil, sauces etc. must not be used, prioritizing single use such or to be served in another format at the customer’s request.

g) When the use of toilets is allowed by clients, its maximum occupation will be one person, except in those cases of people who may require assistance, in which case the use will also be allowed by his companion. These toilets must be cleaned and disinfected at least six times a day.

The permitted opening times are from 6.00 to 23.00, however each Autonomous Community may extend these times within two hours maximum for opening and closing.