Want to know what’s happening in Spain – and Andalucía – with Covid right now?

We all find ourselves in challenging and confusing times; whether you’re in Spain, the UK or elsewhere in the world. With the Covid situation evolving all the time and new regulations being introduced as things develop, it can be hard to stay on top of it all, so below we summary the main elements and current state of affairs in Spain and Andalucía for your reference.

The first thing to remember is that in a federal country such as Spain the central government is responsible for developing the national regulations, but leaves a great deal of local freedom of application and policing to the autonomous regions. This means that while the same overall rules apply across the country, there can be significant variance in their intensity or the way they are regulated in different areas, and in the case of Covid this allows for a more flexible approach that is adapted to the actual situation on the ground.

Marbella one of the best places to be

An example of this is the fact that in harder-hit regions of northern Spain the lockdowns and restrictions are more severe and were put in place sooner, in response to much higher levels of Covid cases prevalent there. Andalucía is fortunate to have one of the lowest rates of infection in all of Spain, and here too the Costa del Sol and Málaga province in general stand out in a positive way. In the municipal area of Marbella, for instance, there have been 47 deaths resulting from Covid-19 since the epidemic first appeared in the region in March of this year.

In all this time, fewer than 3,000 people have been hospitalised for the virus at the well-equipped Costa del Sol hospital in Marbella, whose emergency unit remains well below capacity occupancy. In other words, Andalucía and the Marbella region have escaped the worst of the virus, thanks in part to excellent medical healthcare conditions, low population density, lots of space and greenery, as well as a high concentration of quality homes that offer ample living areas, privacy and independence. In contrast to the urban centres of the colder North, it makes this one of the best places to be during the Covid-crisis.

Updated regulations

On 9^th November, the Andalusian Regional Government, or Junta de Andalucía, announced a new set of regulations that entered into effect on Wednesday 11^th November and will continue in force until analysis and revision on Monday 23^rd November. There is chance they will be extended then, or that the restrictions will be tightened or reduced, but this will depend on how effective the measures will have been in reducing the number of new cases. Andalucía will mirror the trends and decisions taken nationally, but always adapting them to account for local conditions, which will be reviewed every two weeks.

• The daily curfew has been extended from 11pm-6am to 10pm-7am, and restaurants and non-essential businesses – that already had to shut by 11pm – now have to close at 6pm
• The curfew applies to all non-essential traffic, movement and activity
• The borders of Andalucía will be closed to traffic, except where one can provide a justifiable reason supported by documentation
• The same is true of movement between the different municipalities of the region, though here the rules are more relaxed and allow for travel between towns for work, medical and other legally accepted reasons
• University lectures will be held online only, but schools will remain open throughout Andalucía – even in Granada province, where a complete lockdown is in force.

Many of the above measures represent a tightening of the rules already in place for some weeks, so people in the area have already become familiar with the phased trend seen since the end of summer.

In spite of this, many Northern European homeowners have chosen to move to their second homes on the Costa del Sol to spend lockdown periods in greater comfort and enjoy the climate and freedom of a greener, warmer area. Others, who wish to do the same, continue to search for properties to buy in Marbella and surroundings.

For these clients we can assist with video presentations, live conference calls, virtual tours and also property reservations subject to viewing. The latter option makes it possible to reserve a property and take it off the market until it is possible to come and view it in person. Should the potential buyer decide not to buy the property then, the reservation deposit originally paid is returned in full.

Please contact us for any questions you may have – the Nvoga team is here to offer consistent service throughout the Covid period.