Spanish families will be able to celebrate Christmas together, the prime minister said today ahead of a meeting with regional leaders to discuss ways to contain the coronavirus strain omicron.
With almost 80% of its population vaccinated and the booster program accelerating, Spain has largely escaped the severe wave of infections that has led several northern European countries to tighten restrictions in the autumn.
But Omicron’s arrival boosted the numbers, with a record nearly 50,000 new infections reported yesterday, although hospital admissions and intensive care unit cases remain relatively low compared to previous COVID-19 waves.
“Do not worry, families will be able to celebrate Christmas,” Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told parliament. “Spain resisted, did not give up and continues to move forward.”
Omicron accounts for about 47% of all infections in Spain, according to figures released yesterday, up from just 3% a week earlier.
Sanchez convened a meeting with regional leaders, who are responsible for their own health policy under Spain’s decentralized administration, in a bid to establish a coordinated approach to tackling growth.
However, the key political differences between them make it impossible to reach a nationwide agreement on anything but the most basic restrictions.
In Catalonia, where the number of beds in intensive care units is twice the national average of 30%, the left-wing government has ordered nightclubs closed, set limits on rallies and sought court approval to impose a night-time ban. the toughest measure available without a national state of emergency being declared.
Instead, the head of the regional government in Madrid, Isabel Diaz Ayuso, has pledged to keep the catering industry open no matter what happens.
SOURCE: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ
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Source From: Capital
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