The party is back in the Spanish capital as COVID-19 nightlife restrictions are relaxed.

For years Madrid has been the very definition of a 24 hour city. Going out until the early hours any night of the week was a way of life.

It all came to a halt in 2020 thanks to the pandemic and the resulting lockdown.

Back to normal for nightclubs

After almost 18 months, restaurants, bars and nightclubs in Madrid have finally been allowed to resume their normal opening hours.

Restaurants can stay open until 2 a.m., while nightclubs and bars should not close until 6 a.m. The capital’s hotels, cinemas and theaters have also seen restrictions on their opening hours and capacity lifted.

It’s part of a general easing of restrictions across Spain as the country’s infection rate declines.

Madrid clubbers were optimistic, but feared they would lose the nightlife again if the number of infections increased.

“I think it’s great because people won’t have to gather on the streets anymore. Plus, clubs have COVID-19 protocols with limited capacity and social distancing,” a man told CGTN Europe .

“If the infection rates start to rise again, I’m pretty sure they’ll reinstate the restrictions, such as tighter capacity limits, for example,” another man added.

Safety concerns

Critics have said nightclubs will always be an ideal breeding ground for COVID-19, with enclosed spaces and poor ventilation.

However, authorities argue that a regulated nightlife sector will help reduce the number of uncontrolled illegal street parties known as the Botellones, considered a major factor in last summer’s peak in coronavirus cases.

Club owners insist that the safety of their customers is paramount.

Juan Jose Blardony, director of Madrid Hostelry, the local hotel industry body in the Spanish capital, told CGTN Europe that its members have worked with authorities to ensure public safety.

“We have worked closely with the Madrid regional government and health authorities to improve safety measures through a program called ‘Responsible Hostelry’.

“We have focused on measures to improve ventilation at all sites. We will continue to work on this. It is really important that the customer feels safe, so that he can have fun in complete safety,” a- he declared.

The increase in public gatherings will always carry an element of risk of infection, but with more than 75 percent of Spain’s population now fully vaccinated, people are more confident of taking another step back on their way back to life. normality.