CATALONIA is bringing back Covid-19 restrictions as cases surge among unvaccinated young people.
Nightclubs will be closed from this weekend, while people will need to show proof of vaccination or a negative coronavirus test before attending outdoor activities of more than 500 people.
On June 26 Spain stopped requiring people to wear masks outdoors when social distancing is not possible. Catalonia wants to reimpose this measure but only the Spanish government can do so, the spokesperson added.
Across Spain, just over 40% of people have been vaccinated – but the percentage among young people is much smaller. Just one in 10 people aged 20-29 has had a vaccine as Spain works through older and more vulnerable people first.
Infection rates across the country have increased in recent days with 204 cases per 100,000 people recorded yesterday, more than double what it was a week ago. According to health ministry figures, the rate may be nearly 600 per 100,000 among young people.
A spokesperson for the Catalan government told a news conference: “We can’t pretend to have defeated the virus.
“The pandemic has not ended, the new variants are very contagious and we still have significant segments of the population that are not vaccinated.”
The warning comes as the UK Government plans to drop the vast majority of restrictions, including masks and social distancing, in England from July 19.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid said yesterday that cases could increase to 100,000 per day in the next few weeks.
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