The Junta de Andalucía has announced new measures, for the region, in force for two weeks from this Monday 11 January (midnight Sunday night) until and including 24 January, to help curb the spread of coronavirus.

The measures include the closure of shops and businesses at 8pm.

Bars and restaurants must close at 6pm.

Cafeterias can stay open until 8pm as long as they don't serve alcohol after 6pm.

Establishments will be able to stay open for the collection of takeaways until 9.30pm and food can be delivered to homes until 11.30pm.

The night curfew has been brought forward to 10pm until 6am across the region.

Moreno said that for now travel from province to province within Andalucía is still permitted.

The regional border separating Andalucía from the rest of Spain remains closed for non-essential travel, after the measure was partially lifted only for the holiday period.

The ban on movement between the eight towns currently closed in the Campo de Gibraltar remains in place.

Stricter measures are also being brought in in La Línea de la Concepción (Cadiz) and Añora (Cordoba), given that these two towns are in risk Level 4 (II). There, all non-essential business activity must close.

Infection rate rising

Moreno explained how the rate of infection is rising following the holiday period.

"So far the rate of hospitalisation is lower than anywhere else in Spain, but the measures we are going to take are proportional," said Moreno on Friday.

The meeting came two days before the special, Christmas conditions end on Sunday and in the face of a sharpening increase in cases both regionally and nationally following people mixing over the holiday season.

The regional president, Juanma Moreno, said on Thursday, “Andalucía will keep acting to contain the effects of the third wave. The decision that we are going to take is backed by Public Health and the experts, and will seek to protect people in Andalucía while helping economic activity wherever possible.”

On Thursday (7 January) there were 2,687 new coronavirus cases in the region, the highest daily figure since 26 November.

Despite Andalucía reporting among the lowest figures in Spain in recent weeks, the rate of positive cases in the last 14 days per 100,000 people regionally had risen to 192, up by 51 points on a week earlier.