Builders and tradesmen were allowed back to work in occupied homes as of this Monday, though how many of them will be left in business is anyone’s guess.
Last Saturday the Ministry of Public Health, which pretty much controls life in Spain under the coronavirus lockdown, announced that its ban on any type of work on buildings with people living in them would be lifted this Monday.
Renovations and repairs have been banned since the 12th of April, when the Health Ministry prohibited all work in occupied buildings, on the grounds that there was the risk of brickies passing on Covid-19 to building residents. Under this rule it was not even possible to renovate an empty flat in a building with other residents, due to the risk of infection in communal areas.
Back in April, work was allowed to resume on large building sites with no residents, whilst the ban on smaller projects was maintained for another six weeks in a hammer blow to many small building companies and tradesmen.
Now they are allowed back to work i n buildings where people live on the condition that “hygiene measures and social distancing of a minimum of two meters,” are respected.
The lockdown ban on all renovation and building work for two and a half months was not just a disaster for builders. Their clients had a bad time too, as I know too well. In my building we were two thirds of the way through work on the roof when the coronavirus situation exploded. From one moment to the next all work stopped. Then, of course, Sod’s Law kicked in, and we had three days of torrential rain during the lockdown, ensuring that neighbours on the top floor were completely drenched for days. I am one of those hugely relieved to see the brickies back in action.
