The city of Malaga has exceeded a thousand infections per one hundred thousand inhabitants in the last fourteen days, the limit set by the Junta de Andalucía to order the closure of all non-essential activity, and will have to lower the blinds on commerce and hospitality from 3 February.

The measure, which will take effect from the early hours of Wednesday morning, will run for at least two weeks.

This Monday the city has an incidence rate of 1,008 cases, according to official data published by Andalucía’s Institute of Statistics and Cartography, which is reviewed every Monday and Thursday.

If a municipality exceeds 500 cases, the Andalusian regional government orders a lockdown of their perimeter (prohibiting the entering or leaving except for justified reasons).

If the rate reaches 1,000 positive diagnoses, the Junta also orders the closure of all businesses considered non-essential, including bars and restaurants.

The accumulated incidence in Malaga has varied in recent days with continuous ups and downs, from 891 cases registered on Thursday to 918 on Friday and 894 on Saturday.

The city’s mayor, Francisco de la Torre, had been demanding on Twitter “sacrifices” for several days to reduce the rate and thus avoid the general closure.

"You have to try harder and never relax. You always have to wear a mask to defend the lives and jobs of many," he said.

The Junta also maintains the rest of the limitations agreed in mid-January: a maximum of four people in meetings inside and outside the home and a curfew between 10pm at night and 6am in the morning, in addition to the restrictions of entering or leaving Malaga province and Andalucía except for justified reasons.