Catalan Government admits Covid situation "complicated" and does not rule out modifying Christmas plan

Spokesperson Budó says that "in two or three days" the executive will decide whether to take action

Núria Orriols Guiu
2 min
Meritxell Budó i Pere Aragonès entrant a la reunió de Govern.

BarcelonaAfter the Department of Health notified a worsening of the coronavirus data in Catalonia, the spokesperson of the Catalan executive, Meritxell Budó, has made a new call for "responsibility" to avoid a "third wave" and has not ruled out implementing new restrictions if cases continue to rise at great speed.

At the press conference following the executive board meeting, Budó admitted that the situation has become "complicated" and that in the next "two or three days" the government will assess whether to make decisions. She did not want to advance in what direction they would go, but she suggest that modifications may be made to the Christmas plan, which allowed flexibility in the mobility of citizens - the perimeter confinement was lifted - and the ten o'clock curfew at night.

The Health Department explained this morning that the rate of infection is again above 1 in Catalonia -one of the key indicators for the spread of the virus- and that 1,886 new infections have been reported in the last 24 hours. It has also informed that there have been 39 deaths due to covid-19 and that Effective Potential Growth continues to rise to 219 (+38).

As a result of this situation, the Government's spokeswoman said that from this Tuesday afternoon the executive's crisis cabinet, which includes both the Department of the Interior and the Department of Health, will meet to discuss the evolution of the data. According to Budó, there may be a new change in the rising trend of contagion, which could force the executive to rethink the measures of the holidays.

"There will be Christmas", Budó stated, nevertheless. The Government is also going ahead with a loosening of mobility restrictions at the weekend: until now, moving between towns was forbidden; from this weekend onwards, mobility is allowed as long as it is inside the county (comarca). Budó explained that Procicat has recommended this variation for "territorial balance", so that people who live in small municipalities can access "services" or carry out Christmas-related activity.

Extension of the 2020 budgets

On the other hand, this Tuesday the executive has also given the green light to the extension of the 2020 budget, as new one is not expected to be approved until after the February 14 elections.

The regulation foresees that the Government of Catalonia, as explained by Budó, can authorise generating credit in the extended budgets to incorporate the resources coming from anti-covid funds set up by the State and the EU

After expresident Quim Torra was barred from office, the Government cannot approve the bill for next year's budget, so that until the new executive is formed it will not be possible to go ahead.

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