People Return to Sidewalk Cafes in Northeastern Spain as Lockdown Restrictions Eased

Restaurants, cafes, and some nonessential shops have reopened in Spain as parts of the country moved into “phase 1” of the nation’s coronavirus reopening plan on May 11.

El Pais reported the government announced that more than half of the country’s population will be able to visit loved ones, attend funerals, go shopping without a prior appointment, and have a drink at a street cafe.

In some regions, according to the report, restaurants and cafes can open their terraces at 50 percent capacity, with a maximum of 10 people per table.

Video taken in Zaragoza, in northeastern Spain, on May 12 shows local residents sitting at outdoor cafes and restaurants, following the guidelines to socially distance from one another.

Local news website heraldo.es reported that many terraces did not open from May 11 because some establishments won’t make enough money from the tables they would have provided. Credit: @dstylezgz – David Martinez via Storyful