Nightlife reopening plan too slow for some Spanish regions, too loose for others

FILE PHOTO: People gather on a street in the Born neighborhood, as the state of emergency decreed by the Spanish Government to prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) was lifted a week ago in Barcelona, Spain, May 15, 2021. REUTERS/Nacho Doce/File Photo

MADRID (Reuters) - Several Spanish regions on Thursday slammed a national plan to ease COVID-19 restrictions on clubs and bars based on infection rates either because it is too slow or too loose, highlighting the strained relations between the different administrations.

Under the plan, which was approved by a narrow margin at a regional summit on Wednesday, regions with a 14-day infection rate below 50 cases per 100,000 people will be able to open nightclubs until 3 a.m.