Audience return approved without capacity limit حد

Vitoria Yesterday, the football and basketball clubs of the Pro League and ACB received the news that they had been waiting for a long time. Yesterday, the Spanish government approved the return of the public to sports spaces after the abolition of Article 15.2 of the Urgent Prevention Law, and the containment and coordination measures to confront the epidemic approved last March, which prevented the arrival of spectators, in both the LFP and the ACB. matches.

Responsible for delivering the news is the Minister of Health, Carolina Daria, who appeared with a happy face when relaying a decision she deemed “to be well received”. “We are returning to normal life in terms of crowd flow for the start of the Football League and the AFC,” the official said at a press conference after the extraordinary cabinet, which rescinded a royal decree. Article 15.2. Now it will be the independent communities that will determine the capacity of the sports spaces. In football stadiums, the use of a mask will be mandatory if there is no safety distance between people of 1.5 meters, while in the last stadiums, since they are closed places such as the Buesa Arena, it will be necessary to wear it.

So far, Article 15.2 has mandated the Supreme Sports Council, after consulting the competition organizer, the ministry and local communities, to put in place prevention and hygiene measures in the Football League and the ACB. That is, in relation to the amount of public permitted, disinfection, prevention or control of sports grounds in order to avoid overcrowding.

The article states that “the decisions taken by the aforementioned body will take care of health conditions as a priority, in addition to the need to protect both athletes and citizens who attend sports activities and competitions.” For this reason, it is now the Basque government, along with the competition organizers, who assume the competence to determine the amount of capacity. The evolution of the pandemic will be key to making new decisions.

Since last May, when the state government allowed access, part of the public has already been able to return after fourteen months to the events, fulfilling certain conditions. Although this only occurred in areas with a cumulative incidence rate of less than 50.

At a LABI advisory board meeting last Friday, the 18th, it was estimated, according to Lehendakari Iñigo Urkullu, that “preventive measures and vaccination are yielding positive results” in the Uskadi region, where the backlog of incidents in the previous 14 days to that date was 125. Expanding the scope, the reduction of the “maximum rate of 546 cases from April 26 to 125 today – on the eighteenth -” has emerged.

Looking at the situation with a positive trend, at that meeting a decree was agreed upon which came into force the next day, Saturday 19, which was intended to “reinforce this trend”, as expressed by Lindacari. Regarding the sports field, it has been established that “the maximum number of people for any type of event” is “600 people indoors and 800 outdoors”. In the case of “places with a capacity of 1,600 to 5,000 people,” the limit was increased “to 800 indoors and 1,200 outdoors.” Meanwhile, in places “with a capacity greater than 5000”, the permissible capacity was set at “30%”.

To date, the sports venues in LFP or ACB clubs that can offer 30% access in the Basque Country are Mendizorroza (with a capacity of 19,840 spectators and a capacity of 5,950), Reale Arena (39,500-11,850), and San Mamés (53,000- 15,900), Ipurua (8,160-2,450), Buisa Arena (15,700-4,710) and Bilbao Arena (10000-3000). In the case of Lezama, where Amorebieta will play next season, it has a capacity of 3250, which if applied 30% would be limited to 975, but since it does not fall under the capacity of 5000, it would stay at 1200.

With regard to sports, it was also announced at the LABI meeting that “exercise in indoor facilities can be organized in groups of ten people”. The dressing room capacity has also been expanded “to 50%” and the “School Sports Competition with the aim of the Summer Championships” has been enabled.

Basque government steps Urkulu also announced that the easing of restrictions in the Euskadi area will be evaluated in a maximum period of 15-20 days after it goes into effect. In other words, between the first and second week of July, the next steps towards normalization can take place, as long as the goals of maintaining the positive trend in infection rate and reducing hospital pressure are achieved. As Lindacari advances, “If these goals are achieved, a new step in adjusting the actions of the Bizzi Pree 3 plan, or even disabling the health emergency, will be applied.”

It must be remembered that the Busy Pree 3 plan is a community response strategy and the organization of social activities in the face of the expected epidemic until June. Currently, as pointed out by Lehendakari, Euskadi is at Level 2 of 5 of the Bizi Berri III Plan.

So the Basque government is waiting for the development of the situation resulting from the epidemic to adopt new scenarios. “As the situation improves, the restrictive measures should be gradually modified to facilitate the recovery of social activity,” Orkulu said. Although they are wary of the Basque government, because “the factor of concern focuses on the risks posed by the eventual emergence of new variants, as is the case now with the variable Delta And her own passion in the UK or Portugal. “We are in a time of hope,” Urkulu said, but also of “caution.” In this sense, the arrival of the holiday period calls for particular caution.

Minister Daria informed the public of the return after detailing the situations in which outdoor mask use would be eased, and was convinced that the decision would be “highly welcomed” by residents. “The news is that the public will return to the stadiums,” the minister celebrated. Of course, football and basketball clubs welcomed the announcement. The crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic has caused a sharp decline in economic income, which has had a special impact on those clubs that find their main source of income in the public. This news brings hope for an economic recovery, as well as enthusiasm from fans to be able to cheer on their teams once again in person. However, it is not a final step, as it will be the autonomous communities that will still have the final say in the decision to impose capacity limits, which could mean inequality between teams.

in Euskadi

30% capacity

In stadiums for more than 5,000 spectators. The LABI Advisory Board, at its meeting held last Friday the 18th, approved a decree allowing access to 30% of capacity in sports stadiums with a capacity of more than 5,000 spectators. In stadiums with a capacity of 1,600 to 5,000 people, the limit has been increased to 800 indoors and 1,200 outdoors.

new steps

If the trend is confirmed. Lehendakari Iñigo Urkullu said on Friday, the 18th, that what was agreed on that day would be estimated at a “maximum period of 15-20 days”. In the event that the positive trend in the cumulative incidence rate continues, “a new step will be applied in amending the procedures of the Busy Pree 3 plan or even disabling the health emergency.” So there may be changes in the first two weeks of July.