Coronavirus contagion rate triples after liberty in lockdown: Spain

By Line: Purvi Jain

The existence of novel coronavirus pandemic has risen threefold over the last three weeks as the authorities struggle to contain a rash of fresh clusters, particularly in Catalonia and Aragon regions, data showed on Monday by the Health Ministry.

After having thousands of fresh cases and hundreds of death per day during the early April peak, Spain showed significant improvement in lowering the rates of new cases and deaths.

However, when restrictions were lifted and Spaniards relaxed in their life, around 201 new clusters have appeared with a heavy concentration in and around the Catalonia cities of Barcelona and Lleida.

The occurrence of COVID-19 rose from 8 cases per 100,000 inhabitants at end of June where the country’s state of emergency has ended, to 27 per 100,000 deputy health emergency, chief Maria Sierra told in a news conference on Monday.

She has shared that over the weekend, 4581 new cases were being recorded, bringing the total cases to 264,836. More than 28000 people have died.

“Where measures have been relaxed is where these clusters appear”, says health minister Salvador Illa. “We’re talking about gatherings of extended family and spaces associated with nightlife”.

Sharing this situation in Catalonia as a concern, he further added people to pay due respect to the health measure.

On Friday, the Catalan regional government has urged some four million people including residents of Barcelona, Spain’s second-largest city, to stay home and avoid a gathering of more than 10 people. Bars and restaurants have been told to reduce their capacity.

That was in addition to order the mandatory requirement of at least 160,000 people around Lleida.

To try and similar outbreak, most regions of Spain have been made compulsory to wear a mask where social distancing can be made, going further than a national directive.