Spaniards rush for vaccines as new cases surge

Spanish vaccination centres have seen an uptake in COVID-19 vaccines as case numbers start to surge.

More than 61,000 new cases were reported last Monday, the highest single-day figure for almost six months.

Spain, like other European Union countries, got off to a slow start with its vaccination program but has since seen it gather pace.

Joan Castello, head of a vaccination centre in Terrassa near Barcelona, said constant demand for the public meant none of the vaccines were going to waste.

"As soon as we get them, we use them," he said.

Sunbathers on a Barcelona beach expressed support for the vaccination drive, particular as the focus is now on inoculating younger people.

"Young people should be more responsible and act accordingly," said office worker Lola Martin. "They think they're immortal. Nobody is immortal here. If they get it, they will fall."

Just over 25 million Spaniards are now fully vaccinated, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

Joan Cayla, an epidemiologist, said that over the past four weeks, the percentage of fully vaccinated people had risen by 20%, and could reach 70% by September.

But he urged caution, noting that the dominant strain of the virus in Spain is the highly-transmissible delta variant.

The relative success of the country's vaccination program has been linked to Spain's efficient public health care system and a well-ordered vaccination plan that stuck strictly to age groups.

Fears that the public health care system would be unable to handle the campaign has so far proved unfounded.

Spain's coronavirus death toll stands at 81,221.