BENIDORM mayor, Toni Perez, has attacked new COVID-19 restrictions on the Costa Blanca where nightlife businesses can now stay open until 3.00 am but general hospitality must shut earlier.
Up to yesterday(September 6), nightlife businesses could only operate until 12.30 am which was the same for bars and restaurants.
Perez, who is also president of Alicante Province’s Partido Popular, said: “Bars and restaurants should already be opening with hours according to their licenses.”
“It makes no sense to have a 12.30 limit if your license runs until 1.00 or 2.00 am but you can go to a nightlife business to have a drink until 3.00 am,“ Perez added.
“The coronavirus does not stop spreading just because bars and restaurants close at 12.30 am.”
Perez accused the Valencian government of ‘abandoning’ hospitality: “They do not help them enough and now rising electricity prices will most certainly fuel price rises.”
He called on Valencian president, Ximo Puig, to outline plans to help the already-struggling sector over power costs.
“We can no longer afford to drown one of the most economic engines of Alicante Province,“ concluded Perez.
READ MORE EXTENDED NIGHTLIFE HOURS IN NEW VALENCIAN COMMUNITY COVID RULES