Catalonia on Tuesday decided to reimpose sanctions to prevent Recent “exponential” increase in COVID-19 cases, Mainly among young people from this region of northeastern Spain.

Catalan Autonomous Government spokeswoman Patricia Plaza said nightclubs and other nightlife entertainment venues in enclosed spaces must close from this weekend and attend outdoor events that bring together more than 500 people to present a negative antigen or PCR test, or should be vaccinated.

“The epidemiological situation in Catalonia is extremely complex– Because, she said.The number of cases is increasing at an exponential rate, far more than we can tolerate“.

“The pandemic is not over, the new forms are very contagious and we still have a large segment of the population that has not been vaccinated. We can’t pretend to beat the virus“, Warned Ms. Plaza.

He also called for a return to the obligation to wear masks (more compulsory in Spain from June 26), stressing however that the decision does not fall within the competence of the Catalan autonomous government.

“Looking at the figures we have today, we believe that masks should be mandatory again in Catalonia, but only the Spanish government can decide.“, He said.

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Apart from Catalonia, Navarre (North) announced limited measures on Wednesday and Andalusia (South) could follow suit.

At the same time, the vaccination campaign is intensifying: 40.3% of the nearly 47 million Spaniards have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, while half (55.9%) have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

Last week, a massive outbreak in the Balearics exposed at least 1,824 infected people after several hundred young people returned to the peninsula to party in Mallorca. Around 6,000 people have been quarantined across Spain.

A situation that worries many Belgians who want to go to Spain like every summer. “Anxiety is justified, information changes overnight, testifies Frederick Forthome, director of a travel agency. Those who were happy to go on vacation find that the situation is getting worse, these are not the words we like to hear.“

Many people call agencies with their questions. However, there are a few cancellations at the moment. “The countries that welcome our tourists are in perfect sanitary condition at the moment», Remembers Frédéric Forthme. For example, for canaries, which have just passed into the red zone, the question only arises for those who have not yet been vaccinated, and those who refuse to quarantine themselves on their return. scared.

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Despite everything, the agencies are overwhelmed. Blame it on the lack of harmony in Europe, observes Frédéric Quatrième: “Every country, every region has its own rules, so we need to know them, educate customers and keep our fingers crossed that the situation does not get worse. we are not cool“she admitted.

But while travelers can get to Spain, there are concerns about the tightening of some measures. “If more drastic measures were to be taken at the site, it is clear that tour operators and agencies would cancel this vacation.», Specifies Frédéric Forthome.