Lloret de Mar to divide beach into sections for different groups

The popular seaside town of Lloret de Mar, just north of Barcelona, is preparing itself for a completely different summer amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

Extra safety measures are being devised, and the town council is planning on reopening the beaches in the safest possible manner. The town is among one of the most popular summer holiday destinations in Catalonia for internationals and welcomes huge numbers of tourists each year. 

Authorities are planning on dividing Lloret de Mar’s beaches into separate sections for different groups in order to put safety measures in place. The plan is to have different areas of the beach for elderly people, families, and adults without children to enjoy.  

Jaume Dulsat, the mayor of Lloret de Mar, explained the measures in a press briefing on Wednesday. 

He also explained that the capacity for each of the three sections will depend on the day, as the daily trends of who visits the beaches usually change by the day. Dulsat said during the week there are more groups of friends and elderly bathers, while over weekends many families arrive from around the Barcelona area. 

As well as that, Civil Protection agents will ensure safe distances are kept between people on the beach, while controls on capacity will be in place to halt the spread of the coronavirus. 

Barcelona beaches reopen

Meanwhile, Barcelona City Council announced that they are reopening the beaches in the Catalan capital.

From Friday, May 8, people will be able to practice individual sports including swimming, but only during the permitted hours to practice exercise in the morning, that is, 6-10 am.

During the evening exercise slot, 8-11pm, the beaches will be only open to accredited sportspeople, who are members of a federation.

Recreational activities will not be permitted, while the showers and changing rooms will remain closed.

Swimming pools

Away from coastal areas, some towns in central Catalonia are putting forward proposals to open municipal swimming pools this summer.

Suggested measures include limiting access to local residents only, assigning time slots for various age groups, and keeping changing rooms shut.

According to the mayor of Sant Joan de Vilatorrada, swimming pools "play an important social role" in small towns and villages.