Spain's coronavirus Christmas could limit parties to six people, El Mundo reports

The Spanish government is to propose a "different" Christmas and New Year under coronavirus restrictions with just six people at parties - although it hopes the "soul and spirit" of the festive season will still shine, El Mundo newspaper reported on Tuesday. Quoting a health ministry draft document to be discussed with regional health chiefs, el Mundo said the goverment would recommend that office gatherings and similar celebrations in the run-up to the holidays be held on restaurant terraces, outside, or in a place with "no more than two walls".

The Spanish government is to propose a "different" Christmas and New Year under coronavirus restrictions with just six people at parties - although it hopes the "soul and spirit" of the festive season will still shine, El Mundo newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Quoting a health ministry draft document to be discussed with regional health chiefs, el Mundo said the goverment would recommend that office gatherings and similar celebrations in the run-up to the holidays be held on restaurant terraces, outside, or in a place with "no more than two walls". They would be limited to six people.

The document proposed "planning a different Christmas without taking out the soul and spirit that makes it one of our citizen's most beloved holidays". The regional health chiefs could still introduce changes. Catalonia's l government said last week it wanted to allow gatherings of up to 10 people for Christmas.

Spain, which has more than 1.58 million COVID-19 cases - western Europe's second highest tally after France - and 43,131 dead - imposed a six-month state of emergency in October, giving regions legal backing to impose curfews and other restrictions. Families of more than six people living together would still be able to party without the six-person cap, which applies to celebrations with any invited guests on Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year's Eve and on New Year's day, according to the government draft plan cited by El Mundo.

The start of the nighttime curfews in force in most Spanish regions would be moved to 1 a.m. from 11 p.m. on Dec. 24 and Dec. 31. As for the Three Wise Men processions held all over Spain on the eve of the Jan. 6 Epiphany Day, which are popular among children, the health ministry recommends to hold "static" processions instead, the newspaper said.

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