Benidorm abolishes the subdivision of the beaches tomorrow after the new state regulations against Covid-19

Benidorm City Council abolishes from this Saturday, June 26, the subdivision system of Levante, Poniente and Mal Pas beaches. This is reflected in the statement signed today by the mayor, Toni Pérez, and in which allusion is made to the evolution of the health crisis and to Royal Decree-Law 13/2021 issued by the Government of Spain and published today in the Bulletin Official of the State, by which the prevention, containment and coordination measures against Covid-19 are modified. A side of which the groups of the Corporation have been made aware in a Meeting of Spokespersons convened by the mayor.
The subdivision system operated last summer and was resumed on March 1 within the municipal project of ‘Safe Beaches’, as a measure to guarantee the physical distance between users of the sand areas, taking into account the time and incidence of the pandemic. The mayor recalled that “as we said from minute 1, this beach management project was and is modular, so that over the last 12 months the organization, use and services have been adapted according to the evolution of the pandemic ”.
Toni Pérez has stressed that "in view of this evolution and the new state regulations relating, fundamentally, to the use of masks in outdoor spaces, it has been decided to nullify the subdivision system". It is, he has assured, of "an action" and "an advance towards normality", but "without forgetting that the virus continues to exist".
Therefore, "while we adopt measures that will benefit the population as a whole in the use and enjoyment of the beaches, and that will improve their occupation," the mayor has appealed "to responsibility" in the compliance with hygienic-sanitary measures, including the safety distance of 1.5 meters.
In this sense, he recalled that "beach users must at all times observe the guidelines on the use of the mask in open spaces contained in the new Royal Decree-Law issued by the Government of Spain." Specifically, article 6b establishes that the use of the mask will be mandatory “in any outdoor space in which, due to the crowding of people, it is not possible to maintain a minimum distance of 1.5 meters between them, except for groups of cohabitants ”.
With regard to the rest of the measures contained in the bill, the hours of bathing and staying on the beaches are maintained from 07:00 to 22:30, and access will be made through the authorized places. Likewise, the 6-meter walk area from the shore is maintained, in which only children under 10 years of age may remain seated, lying down or immobile.
Sports practice is authorized in the areas permanently enabled for beach volleyball and beach soccer; while the use of footbaths is limited when leaving the beach.
On the other hand, next Monday the plenary will vote on the cleaning, rescue, first aid and accessible beaches services that will operate until September 30. The new proposal also contemplates, in this case until June 2022, a reduction in the sectors and number of hammocks that will be installed in the sandy areas and that will be a maximum of 3,500 units per day -of the 6,315 that the concession contract contemplates-.

In short, the mayor has remarked, "we grow in devices, services, resources and we are modulating the sandy areas so that the enjoyment of the beaches, our great attraction, is as full as possible and Benidorm is recovering normality to the beat of a regulation, in this case of the Government of Spain, which has consequences in the management of our beaches ”.