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Walking this Wednesday through Montalbán is to travel to the month of March. There is hardly any noise in its streets and the people passing by are dripping. Bars and restaurants have closed and very few businesses continue with their blinds up. In a week, this Cordovan town has gone from anonymity to become the Andalusian town where coronavirus cases have multiplied the most, going from three to 80. The situation has led its neighbors to confine themselves to avoid a further spread of the virus.

The case of this municipality is truly exceptional. Throughout the pandemic, and even during the de-escalation, Montalbán has been an example of prudence and responsibility . In a population of 4,489, only three people were infected from March to early August. However, this good data has been corrupted with the current number of infected. Of those 80, EL MUNDO has been able to learn that none have required hospitalization and that, furthermore, 90% correspond to those under 30 years of age.

Blinds drawn in shops that have voluntarily closed.

The explanation can be found in the town's patron saint festivities , which were held between August 6 and 9. Despite the fact that the City Council agreed to suspend the festivities, the young people came out in crowds, filling the bars and terraces. The mayor himself, Miguel Ruz , has recognized that the number of infected is "the result of relaxation" since "the people went out en masse" to the streets . When the figure reached 45, Ruz asked his neighbors for self-confinement, even when the PCR test had come back negative. To a large extent, the locality has followed his advice.

The main shops that are open are food stores , such as the Agustín butcher shop , located in the food market. The rest of the companies that occupy positions in this building are closed, either for holidays or because they have decided to follow the recommendations of the City Council. He is one of the few residents who does not explain this increase in the number of infected people and attributes it to "bad luck". "During the confinement we have had few infections. We knew that the virus could arrive, but not in this way. We are the center of attention right now and this has only been brought by someone from outside or that a neighbor has traveled and was infected." The self-confinement is barely noticing in sales as this butcher is also serving food delivery .

The stalls of the food market are closed, some for holidays and others for the Covid.MADERO CUBERO

The festivities

On Ancha Street, the town's main thoroughfare, two neighbors meet after six months without seeing each other. They wear masks but for a few seconds they forget the security measures and shake hands as soon as they meet. "The town is very sad about all this that is happening to us," one says to the other, who nods, although he reproaches the attitude of the younger neighbors. "I am very sorry, but things have been done that cannot be done." The bar next to his home, he says, was "full" of people during the patron saint festivities. "Everyone there crowded and partying. Kissing and hugging each other. But what is this? I like to sit outside but this year I have not."

But the crowds did not only reach the local bars. Other neighbors say that there were also parties in private homes and even the celebration of communions . A young woman walking down this same street confirms it. "Although the festivities were suspended, many people went to celebrate it in garages." He acknowledges that young people have left "without knowledge" and that the increase in infections occurs because they are "very sociable" neighbors. "We all get together with everyone." Without a doubt, the fact that the festivities have been the trigger for the contagion because "the population of Montalbán has always been very cautious in their day to day".

Some neighbors, passing in front of the facade of the Montalbán City Hall. MADERO CUBERO

At the moment, the Junta de Andalucía has not declared any outbreak in the town but there has been community transmission with the neighboring town, La Rambla , located just three kilometers away, which has 49 infected. These two municipalities of Córdoba are the two towns in the Andalusian interior that have registered the most positives for coronavirus in the last 14 days.

While residents are quarantined in their homes, the mayor has asked not to point to specific locations or spread hoaxes that could affect certain businesses, although several videos show celebrations inside bars in the town in which the measures were not followed. of security.

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