The decision, conveyed by the Department of Agriculture to representatives of the 19 affected municipalities during a virtual meeting, dismisses any immediate easing of the measures adopted to contain the virus outbreak. This situation of closure of natural spaces, which has lasted nearly seven months, has generated growing discontent among town councils, organizations, and regular users of the metropolitan area's forest areas.

Sources from the Department of Agriculture insist that the priority remains preventing the virus from leaving the affected zone and reaching livestock farms. They assert that the measures have been crucial in keeping the virus contained within the high-risk area and recall the "thousands of jobs at stake" linked to the pig farming sector. For this reason, no review of the restrictions is planned until after the summer, although Minister Òscar Ordeig had previously opened the door to exploring formulas for "certain access" to natural environments.

From Sant Cugat del Vallès, the deputy mayor, Carles Brugarolas, proposed the possibility of implementing pilot tests with controlled reopenings in very specific areas, such as the Volpelleres forest, the surroundings of Pi d’en Xandri, or Torre Negra. The council admits that the proposal is in a preliminary stage and lacks defined dates, but argues for the need to study whether it is possible to reconcile the fight against the disease with occasional and regulated forest use.

The access limitations were decreed in late November following the detection of African Swine Fever cases in wild boars, gradually expanding to include the entire Collserola mountain range. Public pressure, including protests and protest walks like the one this past weekend with nearly 200 participants, has not changed the Government's stance, which maintains that any relaxation of measures will have to wait, at least, until after the summer.