Physical activity and walks for the whole population after 7 weeks of lockdown

After seven weeks of strict lockdown due to the devastating Covid-19 pandemic, people were once again allowed to go out for walks on the streets of Catalonia and Spain as a whole on Saturday morning, just as children were finally allowed to last week. 

Yet this time the public, including minors, have to follow set times through the day in order to avoid large crowds, as Catalonia and other territories had urged. 

In a press conference on Thursday evening, Spanish health minister Salvador Illa announced the time slots during which people are allowed to leave home from Saturday:

6-10 am: People 14 and over are able to exercise alone anywhere within their municipality of residence or go for walks at most 1 km away from home, only once a day and with no time limit within the time slots.

10 am to noon: Dependent persons and their carers are allowed out, as anyone over the age of 70

Noon to 7 pm: Minors under 14 years of age can leave home in the company of a parent or guardian, only 1km away from the minor's home and for a maximum of an hour.

7 pm to 8 pm: Dependent persons, their carers, and elderly people can leave home again during this slot

8-11 pm: Once again, people are permitted to exercise on their own anywhere within their municipality of residence or to go for walks at most 1 km away from home, only once a day and with no time limit within the time slots.

Towns with populations of fewer than 5,000 do not have to abide by these fractured timetables. 

Spain's health minister explained that people are only able to leave home once a day during the time slot applicable to their situation. Spain's official gazette, BOE, specifies all details of the measure. 

Yet, on Friday, the director of Spanish health emergencies, Fernando Simón, said it is "compatible" that the same person do exercise or go for a walk in the morning time slot, and stroll with their kids in the 12pm to 7pm slot.