Catalonia launches plan to ease return to work

The Catalan president, Quim Torra, announced a plan by his government to ease the return to work from Tuesday.

Catalonia's authorities insist that the total lockdown should not be lifted as of April 13, as Spain's executive officially approved this weekend. Yet, with no powers to block it, they put forward a plan on Sunday to ease a potential negative impact of such measure.

During a press conference after meeting Pedro Sánchez and all of Spain's regional presidents, Torra said: "We won't sit back and do nothing."

"We will take measures in order to protect our people," he added.

Torra specified some of these measures, including a plan to protect workers in Catalonia, including performing temperature checks on as many people as possible before they go to work, and isolating those with readings of 37.3 degrees or above, or who are experiencing respiratory problems, at home. 

Authorities want temperatures of workers to be checked twice a day, with the health services alerted in any case of an increase in temperature. 

The head of government said the plan will include four items: "health control with the available tests," calling for joint responsibility of people, a plan to control potential crowds in public transport and workplaces, and enhanced measures for vulnerable groups.

During Monday afternoon's press conference, the government spokesperson, Mertixell Budó, explained that the government is rolling out a plan on how to deal with Spain lifting the complete confinement and allowing some employees to return to work, with aspects covering security, public transports, and vulnerable groups. 

Work minister Chakir El Homrani explained in the same press conference that employers will have to guarantee the minimum and indispensable presence of employees and ensure social distancing at the place of work. Extreme cleanliness and ventilation measures will also be needed, while stairs should be used by all who can, and elevators avoided. 

Interior minister Miquel Buch explained that Spain are sending 1,714,000 face masks to Catalonia, a number he called "nefarious" due to the symbology of the year 1714 being the year Catalonia lost its sovereignity, and a hugely significant number in the independence cause. 

Buch criticized that the amount of masks "don't cover the population" of Catalonia. "If the next figure has anything to do with 1939, we won't allow it," he added, with 1939 being the year Franco won the civil war. "The history of Catalans cannot be played with."

Volunteers to distrubute masks

Some 500 Red Cross and Civil Protection volunteers will distribute the 1.7 million masks that the Spanish government has sent to Catalonia on Tuesday and Wednesday morning. More than 100 different distribution points will be in use on public transport accesses of cities with more than 30,000 inhabitants.

The director of Civil Protection, Isabel Ferrer, announced on Monday that masks would be "exclusively" distributed to people who have to go to work and cannot take an alternative method of transport. Ferrer described the management of the distribution of masks as "improvisation" by the Spanish government, saying she had not received instructions on how to hand out the masks.

"Tomorrow not everyone will have a mask, only those who have no choice but to take public transport," the director of Civil Protection said in a press conference on Monday. 

Public transport

The cabinet spokesperson, Meritxell Budó, specified in an interview with the Catalan public TV that the measures in the plan include increasing the frequency of public transport "to the maximum possible," especially in peak hours.

She said that 30% of the staff of public transport is off sick because they have been tested positive of Covid-19 or been in touch with people suffering from the disease. 

According to Budó, the frequency of trains and buses will be increased so that "the one-third of the total capacity limit is guaranteed" and the distance of security among commuters is also ensured. 

Apart from controlling access, authorities also aim to ensure a minimum distance of 1.5 meters between passengers on platforms. 

Staggered timetables

The Catalan government is committed to flexibly changing shifts and schedules to facilitate staggered movement of people throughout the day, with the aim of avoiding crowds and maintaining the required distance of 1.5 meters between employees and customers, with a recommendation of 2 meters when possible. 

In places of employment where it will be impossible to keep such a distance due to the nature of the activity, staff will have to be provided with personal protection equipment.

In addition, they also ask that working from home be maintained whenever feasible, and explain that the government employees will also do so except for essential services that need to be done in person. 

Adaptation to vulnerable groups

The government also wants shops and establishments to reserve time slots early in the morning to prioritise serving older and vulnerable people, as well as promoting the possibility of making online purchases to avoid going in person to shops. 

In the case of minors, and despite having no powers with this respect, the government proposes that the Spanish executive establish a recoverable paid leave for childcare to make the workplace more flexible.