Bar capacity limits lifted as long as safety distances guaranteed

From Thursday, bars and restaurants can operate without any percentage limits on their capacity, provided that safety distances can be guaranteed between customers or groups of customers. 

Establishments need to be able to guarantee safety distances equivalent to 2.5 square meters for each customer. 

Up until now as part of the measures during the lockdown period and the first few days of the ‘new normality’ in Catalonia, establishments could only serve 50% of the usual maximum capacity indoors and 75% in outdoor seating areas. 

Businesses are still encouraged to allow clients to book tables, with the idea being avoiding large groups of people turning up at bars and restaurants at the same time. 

In enclosed spaces, regulations say there needs to be access controls and separate exits where possible, and limit the maximum number of people at 1,000, which can be doubled if there are pre-assigned seats. 

Safety distance can be reduced if masks are used, a register of attendees is kept, or with a pre-assignment of places, and traffic measures are provided for attendees to avoid congestion at intersections or more crowded points.

The same provisions can be used to lower the safety distances and increase capacity for events or gatherings outdoors as well.

In the event that different areas are assigned and control of access and traffic flows are in place, events and gatherings can hold a maximum of 2,000 people, which can be increased to 3,000 if with pre-assigned seats.

At conferences, fairs, and similar events, the Government resolution states that they may be held as long as the number of attendees is adjusted to the capacity of the venue keeping the safety area of ​​2.5 square meters per person into consideration.