Spain struggles as Covid rates rise again

Pandemic flares again just weeks after authorities had reduced new cases to trickle

The Hospital del Mar in Barcelona has been forced to create a new ward to treat a surge in Covid patients (REUTERS)

Coronavirus cases in Spain have surged to new heights as the country wrestles with a fresh wave of the virus.

Over the past two weeks there have been 537 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, the health ministry announced on Friday.

In some regions the figure is even higher, with worst-hit Catalonia reporting a 14-day contagion rate of 1,160 cases per 100,000 people.

The new spike in coronavirus came after authorities had forced new cases down to just a trickle in early June.

But just weeks later rates of the virus were rising again forcing some regions, including Catalonia, to reimpose curfews and other restrictions.

Some experts have blamed the return of the pandemic on Spain’s speedy resumption of international tourism.

Others have pointed to the end of the school year meaning more mingling by as yet unvaccinated youngsters and the reopening of Spain’s night time economy, as well as the arrival of the more infectious Delta variant of the virus.

Overall, Spain has seen 4,100,222 people test positive for coronavirus while 81,096 have died since the start of the pandemic.

This compares favourably to some of its European neighbours, including France, Italy, Germany and the UK, all of whom have lost more citizens to Covid.