Beaches in Spain forced to close and turn away tourists amid COVID-19 scare

Spanish beaches were forced to close and turn away tourists after visitors failed to maintain 1.5 meters distance as advised by health authorities to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Tourists from the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe were stopped from going to the beach as authorities feared a second wave due to a lack of social distancing. According to reports, around 55 beaches in southern Spain’s Andalucian region were closed on July 5, while beaches at Malaga reduced the number of visitors to ensure social distancing is followed. 

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Beaches in Spain witness a massive influx in tourists and visitors between the month of July and August as Spaniards start their annual summer holidays. However, this year most beaches have announced either closure or have reduced the capacity as a precautionary measure to block the COVID-19 spread. The northwestern region in Spain imposed a fresh lockdown following a surge in new cases to curb the spread of coronavirus. Spain had started lifting the state of emergency last month and opened borders for European states after three months of strict restrictions. The country allowed tourists from Britain without having to quarantine for 14-days, as applied earlier. 

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COVID-19 in Europe

European countries were among the hardest-hit by the pandemic with Italy, Spain, France, and the United Kingdom still in the top-10 list of worst-affected nations. Italy and Spain remained topmost affected countries for quite some time before the United States surpassed them to become the worst-hit nation in the world. According to figures by Johns Hopkins University, Spain has recorded more than 2,50,000 COVID-19 cases, of which 28,385 people have lost their lives as of July 5. Meanwhile, the world has recorded over 11.4 million infections, with more than 5,34,4600 deaths to date. 

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