Spain sets new coronavirus infection record

Spain has set a new daily coronavirus infection record as citizens seeking to determine whether they are contagious ahead of Christmas gatherings endured long queues amid a shortage of tests.

The nearly 73,000 new cases recorded on Thursday were Spain’s third consecutive record high in three days.

The national 14-day contagion rate rose to its highest level this year: 911 new cases per 100,000 residents.

The Spanish government has ordered mandatory mask-wearing outdoors, with few exceptions, starting from Friday.

But authorities have ruled out measures that would hurt the economy – such as bar and restaurant closures – or caps on gatherings that would be unpopular during the festive period.

Instead, they are mainly relying on masks, social distancing and vaccines, which have relatively few detractors in Spain and that experts credit for a lower hospital admission rate of Covid-19 patients than in previous virus surges.

The north-eastern Catalonia region has reinstated curfews and limited to a maximum of 10 the number of people allowed to meet indoors.