Coronavirus news

Spain struggles to contain COVID-19 as contagion rate rises

Night curfew to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Barcelona

People leave as Police arrive to remove people gathering at Born neighborhood, as the regional government decreed a night curfew (from 1am to 6am) to prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Barcelona. | ALBERT GEA

ReutersMadrid17/07/2021 09:21
TW
0

Spain's two-week coronavirus contagion rate rose to 537 cases per 100,000 inhabitants on Friday, according to health ministry data, as the country struggled to cope with a surge in COVID-19 cases.

Tourist magnet Catalonia has been the hardest hit, with the 14-day contagion rate rising to 1,160 cases per 100,000 people, according to health ministry data.

In early June, authorities in Spain were breathing a sigh of relief at having brought COVID-19 cases down to a trickle.

Related news
Restaurant in Mallorca during the pandemic

Pandemic compensation claims by Mallorcan companies rejected by Spain's Supreme Court

More related news

However, by mid-July regions like Catalonia have imposed curfews and other restrictions as the nation scrambled to control the outbreak.

Epidemiologists blame a rush to resume international tourism and heightened socialising among unvaccinated youngsters, as the end of the school year coincided with the appearance of the now-dominant Delta variant and the reopening of nightlife.

In Spain, 4,100,222 people have tested positive for coronavirus while 81,096 have died since the start of the pandemic, according to health ministry data on Friday.

Also in News

Talking to tourists.

Mallorca holiday paradise vanishing for some German tourists

La Macarena bullring in Felanitx, Mallorca

Abandoned since 2008, a Mallorca bullring has new owners

End of the line.

Massive blow for BBC radio listeners in Spain

Ibiza car ban introduced.

Ibiza introduces a cap on hire cars; only 20,168 vehicles on the road

Most viewed
Most Commented