Ministry of Health regulates conditions for re-opening museums, libraries, film sets and cultural shows

The Order contains the basic rules on the protection of both workers and the public and users of these spaces which can be re-opened in those places that fall under Phase 1 of the Plan for the Transition to the New Normality (or De-escalation Plan), which begins in some autonomous regions on Monday.

Museums can open with one-third capacity

Museums can open their doors to the public to visit permanent collections and temporary exhibitions, but cultural and educational activities will remain suspended. The adaptation of the facilities at museums to guarantee compliance with the Ministry of Health rules will determine the re-opening date on a case-by-case basis.

Visits will be individual or in family units. Museums may only use a one-third capacity and may alter routes, the organisation of people coming in and going out, and the closure of rooms that do not allow for maintaining a minimum safety distance of two metres between people.

Among other measures, cloakrooms will remain closed and the use of lifts will be limited to exceptional cases. Tactile museum display elements will also be turned off during tours around the museum rooms, with audio-guides, brochures and other similar material also unavailable.

Users are recommended to purchase entry tickets through online channels, although they may be purchased at the ticket office. Should it prove necessary, each museum will make a maximum number of tickets available to the public for specific time slots.

In access zones and on helpdesks, markers will be placed to guide the movements of the public, Perspex screens or similar protective elements will be affixed, and dispensers will be placed with sanitising liquids for their use by visitors.

Bookshops will now be open without an appointment under Phase 1

After opening during Phase 0, the transition to Phase 1 means that bookshops can offer their services without making an appointment, but always with the limitation on 30% capacity. Should these establishments have several floors, the number of customers present on each floor must maintain the same percentage capacity and their distance of two metres from one another.

Bookshops must fix a timetable to offer a priority service to those over the age of 65.

Libraries will loan out books again

Those territories in Phase 1 of the de-escalation may re-open libraries to lend and return books, as well as provide bibliographic and library information services, with a 30% capacity.

Books may be requested by users and provided by the library staff. Once consulted, they will be placed on one side and separated from each other for at least 14 days. Collections that can be freely consulted will remain closed to the public.

In this phase, no cultural activities may be offered, nor study activities on the premises or loans between libraries. Computers and other IT resources of libraries intended for public use may not be used, along with catalogues for public access online or microfiche catalogues.

Before re-opening libraries to the public, the management of each facility must adopt the health and organisational measures established in the Ministry of Health Order published on Saturday.

Film sets and audio-visual production: sanitised changing rooms and safety distance to be maintained whenever possible

The Ministerial Order approved establishes that the personal safety distance between people must be maintained and suitable protective equipment must be provided according to the level of risk. In those cases in which the nature of the work does not allow the personal safety distance between people to be maintained, or the use of suitable protective equipment in line with the level of risk, as may be the case of actors, the safety measures designed by those in charge of filming will be adhered to, in each specific case, based on the recommendations of the health authorities.

All of the film sets and other spaces for filming must be cleaned down and disinfected prior to their use. As regards make-up, hair dressing and fitting costumes, suitable protective equipment should be used in line with the level of risk to ensure that both workers and artists are protected, and the distance of two metres between artists should be maintained at all times. After each use, materials should be disinfected.

Re-opening of establishments for cultural events and shows

Establishments for cultural events and shows, whether indoors or in the open air, may re-open with a maximum of one third of their authorised capacity. Furthermore, if these are organised in closed spaces, the maximum number of spectators is set at 30, or 200 if held in the open air.

Among other measures, spectators must be seated on numbered seats and maintain their safety distance at all times. To ensure this, distancing markers will be placed on the floors on the way in and way out of the hall. When the public leaves at the end of the show, this must be carried out in a staggered fashion by zone in order to guarantee that the safety distance is kept between people.

The rule recommends not holding an intermission and shop, café and cloakroom services are not permitted.

As a recommendation, tickets should be sold online, although they may also be purchased from the ticket office. Under no circumstance will programmes, booklets or any documentation on paper be handed out.

When several artists are on stage at the same time, the artistic direction will try and maintain the safety distance for health purposes during the show. In the same way as for film-making, when the suitable safety distance cannot be maintained, or suitable protective equipment be used for the level of risk, the safety measures designed for each specific case will be employed based on the recommendations of the health authorities.

Both in artistic representations and in rehearsals, all surfaces and instruments that may come into contact with the artists will be cleaned and disinfected before each performance, and changing rooms and technical equipment will not be used without being disinfected beforehand.

Non official translation