Spain: New restrictive measures in regions fearing new pandemic outbreak
Catalonia, Navarre and other Spanish regions are planning to introduce new restrictions to curb the increase in cases. What measures are being considered.
The region of Catalonia plans to impose new measures to deal with the pandemic , such as the mandatory demonstration of a vaccination certificate or a negative test for Covid-19 for the entry of citizens in bars, restaurants and stadiums. Similar restrictions are being considered by other regions to stem the tide of new infections.
The number of new infections in Spain , a country where 79% of the population has been fully vaccinated, remains well below the levels recorded in Austria and the Netherlands, but authorities say there is a risk that the situation could soon get out of control.
Catalan government spokeswoman Patricia Placha told reporters authorities would seek justice. to use the disease / vaccination certificate to "reduce the risk of infection and prevent the health system from overloading".
Because these certificates are considered to restrict fundamental civil liberties, the approval of local judicial authorities is required to be used in this way.
Catalonia has recorded an average of 183 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days, well above the national average (132 per 100,000 inhabitants) and the 150 / 100,000 threshold above which an area is considered "high risk" . The certificate is already used for customers to enter nightclubs.
In Navarre, authorities said on Wednesday they would seek court approval to allow only Covid-19-certified restaurants and nightclubs to enter during the Christmas holiday season.
A court in the neighboring Basque country has rejected a request for the use of these certificates in restaurants, and authorities warn that they will declare a state of emergency if pressure on hospitals intensifies.
If approved, these restrictions could put an end to Spain's hopes of attracting millions of tourists for the Christmas holidays. The government, however, maintains its optimism that tourism will reach 66% of the level of previous years in the fourth quarter of the year. "We have established our image as a safe destination throughout Europe," Tourism Minister Fernando Valdes told Reuters, explaining that more tourists are expected at Christmas than those who visited the country this summer.
To address the rise in infections, Spain is providing a booster dose of the vaccine to all people over the age of 60, to health and vulnerable groups, and plans to make it available to the rest of the population.
