Galicia becomes the first of 17 Spanish region that no longer has any patients suffering from COVID-19. Since June 15, the region to enter ‘new normal’, The Local Spain reports.
Spain’s health ministry confirmed on Saturday that Galicia has no coronavirus patients in its intensive care units and has not suffered any deaths from the novel pathogen in the past week. That means that the region will be back to normal life next Monday.
Galicia in Spain’s northwest will become the first of the country’s 17 regions to exit the lockdown next week and enter the “new normality” when all restrictions on movement are lifted, officials said on Friday.
Despite the stable epidemiological situation, the wearing of masks in public places will remain compulsory in this northwestern area as it will elsewhere in Spain until a vaccine against the COVID is found.
By June 15, more than 70 percent of Spain’s 47 million population will be in the final stage of the phased rollback that should finish by June 21st.
Spain slowly recovers from COVID-19 outbreak
Health Minister Salvador Illa said that three out of every four citizens in the country will be in phase three by next Monday.
The Madrid region, which accounted for more than a third of all deaths, had not asked to move into phase three next week, with Mr Illa saying all restrictions would be relaxed there and elsewhere on June 21 when the nationwide lockdown ends.
Spain remains the world’s second most popular travel destination after France, but it has said it will not reopen its borders to international tourists until the start of July.
Most EU countries as well as those within the passport-free Schengen zone, are on the brink of reopening their frontiers after a months-long closure to slow the spread of the virus. But Spain has insisted on holding out until July 1st.
“We are working with our European partners towards a common position with respect to borders, on what type of controls will be imposed and which visitors from which countries can come,” he said.
