Covid: Over 5,000 new cases and 39 deaths

BarcelonaExponential Potential Growth (EPG), used to measure the risk of a major outbreak, has jumped to 887 (46 higher than yesterday), and the transmission rate or R number has fallen to 1.52 (0.1 lower than yesterday). The figures were provided by the Catalan Health Department, which today reported 5,008 new confirmed cases of covid-19, taking the total t 212,273 since the start of the pandemic. There have also been 39 new deaths, with a total of 13,858. On the other hand, there are 121 more admissions, and the number of hospitalised patients has reached 2,138, of which 368 are in the ICU (21 more than yesterday).

Restrictions to stay in place

In this context, the Catalan government's Health minister, Alba Vergés, has said it would be difficult to lift the restrictions on bars and restaurants by the end of the week, hinting at further action later this week. Vergés did not provide further detail on the measures, although she claimed "many" were being considered ant that "nothing has been ruled out". She did say the situation would be different from March and insisted on the importance of keeping schools open.

In any case, not everyone has paid attention to the latest restrictions: police reported a total of 115 people breaking the first night of curfew throughout Catalonia. A large part of the offenders were in large urban areas delivering takeaways. In addition, officers forced the closure of two premises that were serving beyond their allowed opening times. In Barcelona, Local police have also reported 15 people breaking the second night of curfew, the first in which fines have given between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.