Police across the Vega Baja have reported a crackdown on citizens flouting the lockdown. The rules of the State of Alarm mean that citizens are only allowed out of their homes and on public roads and highways for a very specific set of reasons including going to the health centre, pharmacy, to buy food, to go to work or to help an elderly dependant relative.
A number of bars and restaurants have been issued with fines for not complying with the government decree to close. Officers in Alicante closed down and fined a bakery (which would have been allowed to open to sell bread) when it had been turned into a coffee shop (which would not have been permitted to open).
Local Police were also called on to disperse groups of citizens, congregating in the city centre and other groups who were walking through streets together. Youngsters playing soccer were dispersed and sent home.
A man walking along a street at 7.30am was stopped by police and questioned as to the reason for being out of his house. He first said he was going to buy bread, officers said that this wasn’t an emergency. He then claimed his wife was about to give birth and then finally said he had to bring food to his in-laws. Due to inconsistencies of his claims, he was issued with a fine.
A number of house parties were shut down after noise complaints and a kebab shop was fined after a queue had formed outside for takeaway food but no measures were being taken to enforce social distancing.
Several people were fined in Alicante for taking turns to walk the same dog. An Elche man was fined for talking his dog two kilometres away from his home and in Orihuela, local police have taken to asking dog walkers for ID to ensure they are near home and not taking more time than necessary for the dog to relive itself. According to a report in Información, citizens who are further than 100 metres from home whole walking their dog could be in violation of the lockdown rules.
Elche police fined a man who was carrying a bag of shopping around with him to make it look like he was on the way back from buying food (essential trips to the supermarket are allowed). To discourage others from doing the same, officers in some towns are asking citizens to show the receipts for their purchases to check the timestamp and shop address, and to ensure there is no trickery afoot.
A number of traffic checkpoints are in place at key points throughout the Vega Baja to check that citizens are observing new driving rules – one person per vehicle, essential journeys only. Workers using public roads to get to work are required to carry a certificate from their employer to prove they are indeed on the way to work.
Police have called for citizen collaboration and request that, if any non-compliance is witnessed, please call 112 so that they can intervene.
In Torrevieja during the first few days of lockdown alone, almost a hundred fines were issued to citizens for flouting regulations. Councillor for Security and Emergencies, Federico Alarcón, revealed that local security forces were issuing fines to citizens in Torrevieja for ignoring restrictions set down by the recent Royal Decree.
To that end, military units from the Rabasa base in Alicante were drafted in and were seen patrolling the streets and urbanisations of Torrevieja in what many believed to be a show of force, reminding citizens to obey the rules.
Citizens will only be able to leave their homes to go to and from work, attend health centres, buy food, medicine or basic necessities, take care of people who need it due to their dependency and also to go to financial or insurance entities. Dogs may go on short walks, just to meet their physiological needs, and without contact with other animals or people.