- Government calls on everyone to familiarize themselves with terms of decree

- Residents of Gibraltar should not travel into Spain, on foot, in a vehicle or by any other means, unless such travel is for essential purposes.

Further to the Chief Minister's statement last night, the Government of Gibraltar has tonight noted the terms of Decree of today's date issued by the Spanish Government, declaring and setting out in detail the terms of the State of Emergency which will apply in Spain from 8am on Monday the 16th March and, in particular, the restrictions on movement which will arise as a result.

The Government calls on all Gibraltarians resident in Spain and on all cross frontier workers to familiarise themselves with the terms of the said Decree and the effect that the restrictions on movement might have on them. Additionally, cross frontier workers are recommended to check with their employers to determine whether their places of work will be operating on Monday at all. The Government of Gibraltar has made further statements on restrictions on the operations of businesses in the catering trade which will impact many frontier workers.

Noting the terms of the said Decree, the Government of Gibraltar therefore recommends that residents of Gibraltar should not travel into Spain, on foot, in a vehicle or by any other means, unless such travel is for essential purposes.

All Gibraltar residents who need to visit Spain for reasons which are essential, should also familiarise themselves with the terms of the State of Emergency declared in that country.

The Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, said: "We share a land frontier with Spain and it is important therefore that those of our citizens who live in Spain should be aware of the terms of the State of Emergency which have now been decreed in Spain. The decree restricts the right of persons to move around in Spain. We are clarifying with Spanish colleagues that those coming to work in Gibraltar will be able to do so in the normal way, but workers in the catering sector will need to get confirmation from their employers of whether or not the businesses that they work for will be operating next week.

“I believe that the measures being taken by the Spanish government are, no doubt, being taken on the proper Public Health advice and are designed for a country of Spain's characteristics. We must respect them and as a neighbour we must assist them in these measures having the required effect. We should entirely avoid travelling to Spain for any reason that is not essential and, if in Spain, any Gibraltarian must ensure we adhere to the terms of the decree made by the Spanish President today. The virus knows no frontiers and we will continue our own work, based on our Public Health professionals' advice, to implement the best plan for Gibraltar to slow down the inevitable spread of the virus in Gibraltar and in that way help the most vulnerable in our community."