TORREMOLINOS – With the lowest virus incidence on the Costa del Sol, Torremolinos wants nothing more than to give restaurants and shops longer opening hours. Mayor José Ortiz criticised the Junta de Andalucía on Friday for the ‘injuries’ they caused.
For the second consecutive week, Torremolinos has the lowest virus incidence rate in the Costa del Sol. This health district also includes Benalmádena, Fuengirola, Mijas, Marbella and Estepona. Nevertheless, in the municipality on the Spanish south coast – just like all other Costa del Sol municipalities – the risk level 3 mitigation measures apply. As a result, this means the catering industry and all non-essential shops must close at 6 pm. Also, outdoors a maximum of six people per group are permitted, with four people inside.
Impeccable Responsibility
‘It is essential that we are allowed to extend the opening hours of the hospitality industry and shops. Our entrepreneurs show impeccable responsibility, ” said José Ortiz. He also emphasised the virus incidence in his municipality was 43.4 for every 100,000 inhabitants in the past 14 days. . According to the mayor, every municipality is striving for a figure like that. Yet the Junta is ignoring all requests from the city council and local entrepreneurs to extend opening hours. Consequently leaving them feeling abandoned once again as a sector already hit hard by the corona pandemic.
‘Does not make any sense’
According to the Social Democratic mayor the decision of the Junta makes no sense from health or economic considerations with a virus incidence half that of Málaga. In the city of Málaga, measures have been relaxed since Friday. This has meant shops, bars and restaurants there can remain open until 9:30 PM. “Not us, while we are a few minutes from the city and there are no perimeter mobility restrictions in place,” Ortiz emphasised.
Torremolinos Mayor fights for justice
That is why his municipality wants the Junta to reconsider the situation in Torremolinos. ‘Torremolinos has shown to be a safe and responsible city. And it is justice if they allow us to work and generate economy in our place’. The mayor added a statement of support to local entrepreneurs. He said “We will continue to fight for justice every day to enjoy the same opportunities as the rest of the municipalities, which even have a higher contamination rate than ours.”
The health district that covers the Costa del Sol and that of the Serranía de Ronda are the only areas in the province of Málaga that have to wait at least a week (next Thursday for a new evaluation) before going from level 3 to level 2 and the accompanying relaxations take effect.
