The leader of the Spanish region of Catalonia called on residents of an area that has seen a surge in coronavirus cases to stay at home, despite a ruling by a judge who threw out a mandatory lockdown order for the district of 160,000 people.
Soraya Ali reports.
The leader of the Spanish region of Catalonia has called on residents in one area to stay at home, despite a judge throwing out the lockdown order for the district and its 160,000 people.
People in the city of Lleida have been banned from leaving the area since July 4 because of a surge in coronavirus cases there -- except for specific reasons such as going to or from work.
That travel ban will not be lifted.
But a judge has now ruled that a move by regional authorities to also impose home confinement had gone too far and did not go through the right channels.
Catalan separatist and president of the regional government Quim Torra, said he could not accept such a ruling.
Speaking at a news conference he said that he planned to approve a new decree to make confinement compulsory.
Back in Lleida the streets were half empty and some of the shops and bars closed, and residents, like Anna, were frustrated with the uncertainty.
"I don't 100% agree with confinement.
I don't agree because it's the same as before.
After 15 days the cases will be over, but then when we go out again, cases will come back.
So for me, it's silly." Spain -- one of the worst-hit countries in Europe -- lifted nationwide confinement last month when the pandemic seemed to have come under control.
But with dozens of new clusters, local authorities across the country are scrambling to take new measures either to lock down small areas or make it mandatory to wear a mask in public.
Since dropping to an average of 132 in June, the number of coronavirus cases diagnosed every day across Spain has begun to accelerate in July, reaching 333 on Friday.
There are more than 100 active clusters, many of them Catalonia.