COVID-19 infections in Spain continue to climb

By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) - For the fifth day in a row, Spain saw a rising number of COVID-19 cases on Saturday as the Health Ministry reported 564 new infections, raising the tally to 248,469.

On Saturday, another four active outbreaks were detected in Granada, Murcia, Cantabria, and Lleida. In total, there are currently 23 active outbreaks across the country, Spanish media reported.

In the past week, 1,862 people in Spain tested positive for the disease. Last Saturday, the number of weekly diagnoses was significantly lower, standing at 1,450.

Most of the new cases registered Saturday were in Catalonia (72), Madrid (36), and Aragon (28). The Huesca province in Aragon already moved to tighten restrictions earlier this week.

The rest of the country has been in the so-called new normal since last Sunday, which means people can circulate freely with fewer restrictions on activity.

Masks are obligatory, however, and some regions have said they are stepping up enforcement in the days to come.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, the Spanish government decreed the extension of a temporary layoff mechanism that is currently supporting millions of workers.

Earlier this week the International Monetary Fund predicted that Spain’s GDP this year will plummet 12.8%, the worst forecast out of all countries analyzed in the latest World Economic Outlook.

On Saturday, the Health Ministry also registered three more COVID-19 deaths, bringing the total number of fatalities in Spain to 28,341.