Phase 3 of the “Transition Plan towards a new normality” does not bring hardly any news regarding the use of community pools, compared to phase 2. Most of the Spanish territory has already entered phase 3 (52% of the population), although the remaining 48% is still in phase 2 due to covid-19, as is the case in Madrid and Barcelona.
The Minister of Health, Salvador Illa, announced last Friday, June 5, the new advances of the de-escalation that are taking place this week in practically the entire Spanish geography, except for two regions that have decided to remain in the stage of deconfinement in which they are, the Valencian Community and the autonomous city of Ceuta. Those who are still in phase 2 of de-escalation or, by residing in a region further behind in the transition towards the ‘new normal, make the leap to this stage on June 8, they will be able to go to the cinema or the theater again, make purchases in centers commercial facilities provided that the proper hygiene and safety conditions are met, as well as going to the pool or the beach, if it is within the limits of the territorial unit of reference in the de-escalation process.
Community and municipal swimming pools may open both in phase 2 and 3 of the de-escalation, as regulated in the BOE of May 16, 2020. Specifically, Chapter X establishes that in phase 2 they can already recreational pools and community pools open to the public. The Ministry of Health confirmed through a letter sent to the collegiate property managers that Order SND / 414/2020 is applicable to community pools, which establishes the conditions for the reopening of public pools for phase 2.
In this way, the communities of owners must open the pools in phase 2 and with the demanding requirements to comply with the imposed obligations, such as having a maximum capacity of 30% or having a prior appointment.
The letter verbatim indicates that “Order SND / 414/2020, of May 16, for the relaxation of certain national restrictions established after the declaration of the state of alarm in application of phase 2 of the Plan for the transition to A new normal, regulates the opening of pools in Chapter X called “conditions for the reopening of recreational pools to the public.” The application of this norm is extended to the swimming pools of the farms ”.
In its letter, the Ministry of Health also confirms that the minimum sanitary recommendations defined in Royal Decree 742/2013, of September 27, are applicable to the opening of community swimming pools, which establishes the technical-sanitary criteria of the swimming pools, in order to minimize the potential for transmission of covid-19.
The requirements that are established for existing pools in communities of owners and urbanizations are the following:
- Maximum allowed capacity of 30%: Most of the communities of owners do not have any capacity control system. There are no responsible personnel in charge of the installation who can control or limit the access of the owners and, in cases where they have a lifeguard, their competence is limited to the control of the pool glass.
- To go to the pool you must make an appointment and schedules will be organized in shifts, outside of which it will not be possible to stay at the facility. The competence to regulate is the General Meeting of Owners.
- Pool disinfection and maintenance: with chlorine and bromine. The main risk of swimming pools is not water, but interactions between people without respecting safety distances and not carrying out adequate disinfection in common areas.
- Distance of two meters between neighbors: you have to make a calculation on how many neighbors can fit in the pool so as not to allow the presence of more than that calculation. For example, the administrators of estates in Madrid assure that the capacity must be limited to 30%.
- Installation of disinfectant gel dispensers at the entrance of the pool.
- Ban on placing towels on fences perimeter to avoid contagion.
- Loungers or hammocks separated by a minimum of two meters. Sharing is not possible and it is the user’s obligation to disinfect them before and after use.
- Cleaning and disinfection of spaces and surfaces.
- Sequential opening of shower taps, fountains, footbaths, bar and toilets, letting the water run so that all that had been trapped in the pipes is renewed.
- Warning to the rescuer to observe the hygiene measures and watch the distances. Evidence in the protocol that is drawn up and executed of attribution to the lifeguard, when it exists, to make warnings to community members.
The phase in which each Spanish region is
According to the announcement of the Ministry of Health last Friday, June 5, the situation of the de-escalation by the covid-19 in each region is the following:
Andalusia: phase 3
All Andalusia has passed to phase 3 from today Monday June 8. The pools can open now, although not all of them are doing so due to the difficulty of meeting all the requirements, such as the reduction in capacity to 30%, which means that in a pool where 100 people entered this year, only 30 will be able to enter up to date. In addition, you must maintain a safety distance of at least two meters.
Aragon: phase 3
The three provinces, Huesca, Zaragoza and Teruel, have said goodbye this weekend to phase 2 and welcome phase 3.
Asturias: phase 3
Asturias also passes to phase 3, the last stage of the lack of refinement.
Cantabria: phase 3
Cantabria also passes to phase 3, the last stage of the lack of refinement.
Basque Country: phase 3
Its three provinces, Vizcaya, Guipúzcoa and Álava welcome phase 3 of the de-escalation.
Galicia: phase 3
La Coruña, Lugo, Orense and Pontevedra go to phase 3 of the deconfinement.
La Rioja: phase 3
La Rioja passes to phase 3, after having been one of the autonomous communities hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, since there was an outbreak that confined the population of the municipality of Haro.
Catalonia: phase 3 and phase 2
Only three health regions in Catalonia go to phase 3: Camp de Tarragona, Terres de l’Ebre and Pirineu-Aran. Barcelona passes to phase 2, both the city, as well as the North and South Metropolitan areas, and Lleida also passes to phase 2.
Castilla-La Mancha: phase 3 and phase 2
In Castilla-La Mancha, only the provinces of Guadalajara and Cuenca advance to phase 3, while Albacete, Toledo and Ciudad Real will have to wait at least one more week to catch up with the rest of the autonomy.
Extremadura: phase 3
Both Cáceres and Badajoz go to phase 3 of the de-escalation.
Navarra: phase 3
The entire Autonomous Community of Navarra advances on the path towards the ‘new normal’ with a “conservative” stance adapted to the territory
Melilla: phase 3
The autonomous city of Melilla has been in phase 3 since Monday.
Murcia: phase 3
The Region of Murcia also goes to phase 3.
Balearic and Canary Islands: phase 3
The islands of Formentera, in the Balearic Islands, and the island territories of El Hierro, La Gomera and La Graciosa, in the Canary Islands, are joined this week by the rest of the islands that make up the archipelagos and pass to phase 3.
Madrid: phase 2
The region of the capital, which did not enter phase 1 until the third petition, gives the starting signal this Monday to phase 2. The Madrid College of Property Administrators estimates that of the 12,000 community pools that exist in the region, about half will be able to open under these conditions (capacity restriction and higher spending).
From CAFMadrid they calculate an average cost overrun of 50% in the item corresponding to the swimming pool season with respect to the previous year in the communities that finally open these enclosures, due to the application of hygienic-sanitary measures (the tasks of cleaning three times a day and disinfection twice a day) and the hiring of auxiliary personnel.
Castilla y León: phase 2
The entire autonomous community is in phase 2 of the covid-19 de-escalation, after the Bierzo area, which includes Laciana and the city of Ponferrada, was the first to move towards the “new normal”.
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