Spain churches comply with stricter coronavirus measures

Madrid's regional government is further restricting family reunions and social gatherings to curb a sharp spike in coronavirus contagion just as schools are set to re-open.

Numbers of people attending funerals, burials, weddings and other religious celebrations, as well as group visits to museums or guided tourism, will be restricted starting on Monday, authorities said.

Officials say that outbreaks are being brought under control, but with most new recent infections linked to gatherings in private homes, an existing ban on outdoor meetings of more than 10 people is now being extended indoors.

At various churches in the Spanish capital on Monday strict anti-COVID measures were already in place, with worshippers washing hands upon entrance, wearing masks and sitting apart.

At the San Anton church, volunteer Rosa Maria Caro said the reduction in numbers would affect services but was necessary to stop the virus spreading.

Nearly one third of the country's new virus infections are in and around the Spanish capital, a region of 6.6 million with high population density and a hub for economic activity for the rest of the country.

At least 16% of beds in Madrid's hospitals are occupied by patients with COVID-19, the highest rate of all Spanish regions.