Covid-19: Spanish justice ends curfew in Barcelona – franceinfo

The Superior Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC) decided Thursday August 19 the lifting of the curfew in Barcelona (Spain) and in other municipalities. Instablished last month by the Catalan government to curb a new wave of Covid-19, this curfew therefore ends on Thursday evening.

The judges ruled that the requested extension of the curfew was not “not so much justified for health reasons as for reasons of security or public order”. It was therefore decided to maintain it only in 19 municipalities, instead of the 148 required by the regional executive. However, the ban on private meetings of more than 10 people remains in force. “throughout the territory of Catalonia”, specifies the court.

The measure was reinstated in mid-July to deal with a fifth wave of Covid-19, particularly virulent in the Catalan region. It was manifested in June by the explosion of cases among adolescents and young people under 30, in particular because of the end-of-year school and university holidays, during which the wearing of masks was practically absent.

But like the rest of Spain, Catalonia has seen the number of new cases drop sharply in recent weeks, to the point that the incidence fell to 328 cases per 100,000 inhabitants over 14 days on Wednesday, lower than the national average. , which stands at 378, according to the Spanish Ministry of Health.

This court decision is therefore first and foremost the consequence of the improvement in the health situation in Catalonia, especially in Barcelona, ​​since the incidence in the Catalan metropolis has fallen to 261 cases per 100,000 inhabitants over the last two weeks, according to figures from the Health Department of the Generalitat, the Catalan regional government.