The party until the end of the night, it is not for all continuation in Barcelona.
The curfew decreed in much of the tourist region of Catalonia, the most affected in Spain by the new wave of the Covid-19 epidemic, was extended on Thursday as the country observes first signs of stabilization.
A court in this northeastern region of the country has given the green light to the extension until August 6 of this curfew decreed between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. in 163 municipalities with more than 5,000 inhabitants, said the spokesperson for the regional executive, Patricia Plaja.
That's two less than last week.
This is the second extension of this measure, introduced in mid-July to cope with the explosion of cases in this region, in particular among those under 30, who are still little vaccinated.
Closed closed-space discos
Beyond the curfew, the Catalan authorities have taken other measures such as the closing of discotheques in closed spaces or the closure of all night activities at 12:30 a.m. as well as the limitation of meetings to 10 people in public and private spaces. .
The increase in cases for several weeks has put strong pressure on hospitals in Catalonia, where 45% of intensive care beds are occupied by Covid patients against 17% nationally, according to the Ministry of Health.
Several other Spanish regions have recently reinstated nightlife restrictions or have called for it in court, including the regions of Valencia, the Balearic archipelago and Andalusia, in the south of the country.
Nationally, the incidence stabilized for the first time in weeks Wednesday at nearly 700 cases per 100,000 inhabitants over the last 14 days, a rate that remains five times higher than a month ago.
In Catalonia, the incidence still exceeds the 1,000 mark.
55.7% of Spaniards fully vaccinated
"We have started to see a certain stabilization of the curve of cases", certainly "minimal", cautiously welcomed Thursday the head of government Pedro Sanchez.
Unlike its French or Italian neighbors, Spain rejects for the moment the idea of a national health pass to access places open to the public.
But while health is the responsibility of the regions, that of Galicia in the north-west of the country has required for a few days a vaccination certificate or a negative test to enter hotels or bars-restaurants, just like the island. of Tenerife in the Canary Islands archipelago.
Catalonia, on the other hand, is opposed to it.
Spain is among the most advanced European countries in its vaccination campaign, with 55.7% of its population fully vaccinated and 66% of first-time vaccines identified on Wednesday.
