Spain Faces Another COVID Crisis... The Problem Was Politics

Central and Local Governments Shift Responsibility, Neglecting Quarantine
1 in 10 Tested Positive... Cumulative Confirmed Cases Exceed 570,000

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] The situation of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in Spain is serious. Spain, which suffered massive casualties from COVID-19 in the first half of this year, is showing worrying signs as new confirmed cases are rapidly increasing again.

San Sebasti? Beach in Barcelona, Spain on the 5th [Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

In Spain, the recent positive rate of COVID-19 tests reached 10%. This is more severe than other European countries currently experiencing a spread of COVID-19. According to the international statistics site Worldometer on the 11th (local time), Spain's cumulative confirmed cases reached 576,697, far surpassing France (363,350), the United Kingdom (361,677), and Italy (284,796).

There are several reasons why Spain's COVID-19 situation is much more serious than other European countries. A major factor among these is Spanish politics.

In March this year, when daily COVID-19 cases were increasing by 10,000, the Spanish central government issued a nationwide lockdown. However, this lockdown ended on June 21. The lockdown became a subject of controversy, including debates over whether the Spanish central government had the authority to impose such measures. Since then, Spain can only impose a two-week lockdown per year when the situation becomes severe.

The problem is that political conflicts and decentralization in Spain have overlapped, preventing proper quarantine measures from being implemented. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez claims that the main responsibility for COVID-19 prevention lies with local governments. In terms of health-related budgets alone, local governments in Spain hold more than ten times the resources compared to the Spanish central government. On the other hand, local governments argue that the central government should exercise leadership.

Students in the Pamplona region of Spain are attending school wearing masks.
[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Because of the dual structure between the central and local governments, COVID-19 tracking and monitoring are not being properly conducted. In Spain, the number of personnel tracking and monitoring COVID-19 patients is not even known. As a result, nationwide, only about three contacts per patient are identified. Moreover, 38% of infection routes are not even traced.

Additionally, Spain's unique party culture is known to influence the spread. The party habit called "botell?n," where young people drink alcohol in public places instead of bars, is increasing the risk of infection among youth. For this reason, the Spanish Ministry of Health is urging restraint, stating "This is not a game."

Furthermore, gatherings held at home are also increasing the risk of infection. While masks must be worn outdoors, people tend to believe the risk of infection at home is relatively low. According to a study by Spanish researchers, about 50% of Spaniards believe that the probability of infection is low or not significant when socializing at home. Infection route analysis shows that the place with the highest COVID-19 infections in Spain was the home.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.