The city of Lleida and several surrounding municipalities in Catalonia (northeast of Spain) were reconfigured on Wednesday due to a major outbreak of contagion, after a standoff with the law. Authorities in the region have also called on residents of several neighborhoods in the city of L'Hospitalet de Llobregat on the outskirts of Barcelona, where cases of Covid-19 are on the rise, to avoid leaving their homes.
In the Lleida area, outings are only allowed in particular to go to work, buy food, get medical treatment or play sports between members of the same household. Nearly 160,000 people are affected. This area had already been isolated from the rest of the region on July 4.
15 days
However, the regional government refuses to speak of "home confinement", these measures being less restrictive than the extremely strict confinement decreed in Spain at the height of the pandemic. "People will be able to go for a walk, play sports, all shops will be open, not just essential shops," said spokeswoman for the regional executive Meritxell Budó on Tuesday.
🇪🇸 In Catalonia, the return to home confinement for 200,000 inhabitants in the Lleida area pic.twitter.com/xYkkUuR12A
- BFMTV (@BFMTV) July 13, 2020These measures were the subject of a showdown with the justice system. After their initial announcement on Sunday, the Lleida court suspended them, forcing the regional government to adopt a legislative decree to override them. Finally, the same court announced on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday give the green light for 15 days, asking the regional authorities to be regularly informed of the development of the epidemic.
120 active outbreaks in the country
The region of Catalonia, one of the richest and most populated in the country, is worried about the recent appearance of several centers of contagion, notably at L'Hospitalet de Llobregat in the suburbs of Barcelona. The regional government has "recommended" residents of three neighborhoods in the city of about 260,000 inhabitants to leave their homes only for basic reasons from Wednesday. With more than 28,400 deaths, Spain is one of the European countries most affected by the new coronavirus pandemic.
More than 120 outbreaks of contagion are currently active in the country, which has prompted many regions such as Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Andalusia to reinforce the compulsory nature of the mask which must be worn at all times, under penalty of 'fine, in the street or in closed public spaces even when the safety distance can be respected.
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Coronavirus in Spain: Legal and political battle over the reconfiguration of an area, suspended by the courts in Catalonia
Health
Spain: Residents of an area in Catalonia reconfigured at home
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