Paris – Spain has banned smoking in public open spaces, where people can maintain no social distance of at least six feet and close nightclubs amid a rise in new coronavirus fallen. The moves followed research by the Spanish Ministry of Health that showed an increased risk of smokers transmitting the new virus to other people in drops exhaled with smoke.
Galicia, in northwestern Spain, was the first to issue a blanket ban on smoking in streets, bars and restaurants, where social distance was not possible. Public Health Minister Salvador Illa then announced that the ban was implemented nationwide on Friday – part of a number of new measures aimed at curbing the insurgency.
BORJA SUAREZ / REUTERS
The number of new COVID-19 cases confirmed daily in Spain has increased at an alarming rate. A total of 3,169 new cases were recorded on Thursday, bringing the total number in the country to 329,784. In June, Spain averaged 150 new cases per day.
The Spanish Ministry of Health also pointed out that tobacco use makes smokers vulnerable to serious respiratory diseases, including COVID-19. “Current evidence indicates that smoking is associated with … a higher risk of developing a severe form of symptoms,” it said.
The increase in new cases since Spain lifted its lockdown on June 21 prompted the UK to remove the country from its list of safe nations for travel late last month.
France follows 331 COVID clusters
On Thursday, Britain also removed France from that list of travel corridors, with a sharp rise in new cases there. This means that all travelers traveling from France to the UK – including Britons returning from holidays – must self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival. France has threatened to impose a reciprocal quarantine on travelers from the United Kingdom, which has a much higher national infection rate than France.
PETER NICHOLLS / REUTERS
Paris and the Bouches-du-Rhône region, around Marseille in southern France, are declared high-risk zones where the coronavirus is actively circulating. In Paris, the incidence rate – the number of cases per 100,000 people – doubled last week to 46.2, well above the national average of 17 (excluding cases arriving from abroad).
Local authorities have been given the power to introduce strict new measures to try to contain the virus, which in turn could include closing bars and restaurants or limiting numbers in public places.
Already, several cities, including Paris, have introduced new rules this week requiring people to wear masks outside on busy streets.
CHARLES PLATIAU / REUTERS
French health chief Jerome Salomon said on Friday that both Paris and Bouches-du-Rhône remained at high risk. Both are densely populated urban areas, with a high youth population.
In France, as elsewhere in the world, the number of new cases in the 20-somethings has increased dramatically. This has been attributed to young people moving more and mixing more since ‘lockdowns’ were lifted, and to the demographic including a higher percentage of asymptomatic carriers of the virus.
The French government, health officials, and the World Health Organization (WHO) are calling on all young adults to be more vigilant, reminding them that they could unknowingly spread COVID-19 to vulnerable family members, especially during the summer season. more are family and social gatherings, and more travel for vacations.
French citizens are encouraged to holiday in their own country, but that may have contributed to new clusters in traditional holiday spots such as the Riviera and Normandy.
The country is currently researching 331 coronavirus clusters, including 30 new ones that have emerged in recent days. Half of all current clusters in France have been relegated to professional contacts, leading to mounting calls to make masks mandatory at most workplaces since early September, when people traditionally return to work after their summer holidays.
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