Following closure of it’s 5 star Hotel last Monday, Hesperia, the group that manages La Manga Club, has now placed over 400 employees on ERTE for the foreseeable future, leaving in operation only the sports facilities on the complex.

However takeup of both tennis and golf at the moment is said to be extremely poor so the short term future for both facilities is currently said to be in doubt with the whole centre seemingly headed for lockdown.

The closures have come about as a result of the restriction imposed on both domestic and International travel and following the recent announcement by the Murcian Government closing it’s provincial border the hotel, especially, has seen any hopes of future trade virtually disappear.

Local businesses have been similarly affected with almost all of the shops, restaurants and businesses also make the decision to close down.

And just this week, as a result of the deteriorating coronavirus situation, the Ministry of Health has further announced the closure all bars, cafes and restaurants in the region’s 45 municipalities with effect from this coming Saturday, from which time only take-away and home services will be allowed.

All service, both inside and on the terraces of these premises, is prohibited in what Health describes as “the face of the unstoppable increases in the cases of covid-19 registered in recent weeks throughout the community.”

The closures will last for a period of 14 days from Saturday 7 November and have already been agreed by the Covid-19 Monitoring Committee in the Community. The Region thus joins the measures also imposed in the communities of Castilla y León, Catalonia, Navarra, Asturias and in the autonomous city of Melilla.

The regional hospitality sector will now be one of the most affected in this second wave of the pandemic, as it was during the toughest months between March and June. It is estimated that more than 1,000 bars and restaurants in the Region have already pulled down their shutters. Hostemur estimates that between 12% and 15% of these establishments have already disappeared due to the health crisis caused by covid-19 with many more currently said to be on the brink of bankruptcy.