Mossos detect illegal New Year's Eve parties and will visit weekend rental properties

BarcelonaBefore New Year's Eve celebrations begin, police have already detected calls on social networks for illegal parties for tonight. Despite the fact that police commissioner David Boneta has not given any specific data, he explained that police would follow these up and impose fines if the parties do go ahead. Likewise, Boneta explained that officers will visit weekend rental properties to make sure that they are not used for parties which would be illegal under covid-19 rules. police will also make sure bars and restaurants, which are only allowed to serve takeaway food until 11pm, and clubs, which must remain closed, respect the restrictions. Boneta also stressed that police will respond to calls to 112 alerting them of illegal parties.

The Catalan police's New Year's Eve team will be made up of 3,589 agents, with 248 checks planned. As for the local police, they will add about 900 agents to the operation. The operation will begin at 10 p.m. tonight and will end at 10 a.m. on 1 January. According to Boneta, during curfew, which will exceptionally start at one in the morning and end as usual at six in the morning, the checks will be dynamic to ensure it is being observed. Otherwise, the controls will be static, in an operation in which drivers will be tested for alcohol and drugs as is usual on New Year's Eve.

This comes on a night when temperatures are expected to fall by five and six degrees in Catalonia with the risk of snowfall. The Minister of the Home Affairs, Miquel Sàmper, explained that the snow teams have been put on alert as snow may fall in La Segarra, Conca de Barberà, Baix Camp, Bages, Vallès Oriental, Vallès Occidental and La Selva at points over 400-600 meters above sea level. This is why Sàmper has warned that many roads may be icy and has pointed out that the drop in temperature, caused by the cold spell affecting Europe, will last until the mid-January.

No change for the Epiphany

Sàmper has also said that in principle there will be no change in the covid-19 restrictions over the Epiphany, although he added that this could vary according to health criteria. He gave as an example the operation that in less than 10 hours was set up by the Department of Home Affairs at the request of the Health Department to close the Cerdanya and Ripollès. In fact, the deputy director of Civil Protection, Sergio Delgado, admitted that since the measures were taken on December 18 the pandemic has evolved and is now "getting worse". Although the start of curfew is tonight delayed until 1am, Delgado has recommended that this exception be used only for cases in which one wants to be with vulnerable or dependent people.

Delgado also recalled that people must return home before 1 a.m. and that there is a maximum of 10 people from two different bubbles per meeting. Sàmper has trusted that the measures will be followed as they were over Christmas and Boxing Day, when the number of complaints and the decrease in mobility showed overall compliance.