The Spanish Government published an updated Official State Bulletin (Boletín Oficial del Estado, BOE) yesterday, detailing the new measures applicable to all areas associated with the nation’s economic activity during Phase 1 in the de-escalation process. Spain has been on national lockdown since March 15.
Phase 1 will begin May 11 in most of the country’s regions, although not in the provinces of Madrid, Barcelona, Granada or Leon, where the four national High-Performance Centers are located nationwide. These provinces will remain for the moment in Phase 0, under strict confinement and social distancing measures, with the exception that residents are allowed to exercise or go for a walk during certain times of the day.
🚩IMPORTANTE
A partir del próximo sábado 2 de mayo se podrá salir para pasear y hacer deporte. Pero recuerda que existen franjas horarias, por edades, y que cumplirlas es responsabilidad de todos.#EsteVirusLoParamosUnidos pic.twitter.com/HKhGEWIFDR— Policía Nacional (@policia) April 30, 2020
During Phase 1, the government has decided that High-Performance Centers and other training facilities will be opened for “High-Level Athletes (Deportistas de Alto Nivel, DAN), High-Performance Athletes (Deportistas de Alto Rendimiento, DAR) and those recognized as being of national interest by the Spanish Sports Council, similar to Italy. However, the four High-Performance Centers will remain closed for the time being as they are located in provinces identified as remaining in Phase 0.
The new bulletin also indicates that, during Phase 1, open-air sports facilities will reopen, however, swimming pools are excluded.
In response, the Royal Spanish Swimming Federation (RFEN) has expressed its discomfort with this decision, as they issued a statement asking the government to revert the exclusion of pools from Phase 1.
“This is not an obstacle to express our surprise as an institution before an Executive Order that makes it possible during Phase 1 to carry out multiple sports activities in outdoor facilities, incomprehensibly excluding swimming pools despite the report issued by the Spanish National Research Council, dependent on the Science and Innovation Ministry,” RFEN‘s statement reads. The report is known as the “Report on SARS-CoV-2 transmission in pools and beaches.”
The statement also hints at the positive impact that swimming has on the population’s health, as well as the necessity for federated sport and club teams to have access to a pool. Under the current circumstances, club teams and federated sport could face closure.
“For these reasons, RFEN urges the Government to reconsider the modification of article 41.3 in the Official State Bulletin so that swimming pools and aquatic areas for sports which comply with the prevention and hygiene measures shared by establishments and activities authorized to resume their activity under Phase 1 in the transition to the new normalcy can reopen.”