News
Covid rate rising
Rats warning
In common with other European countries , the spread of Covid in Spain has increased in recent weeks and by mid-November the country ’ s cumulative incidence rate had risen to 100 cases per 100,000 residents . This was the highest rate for two months .
At the same time , the rate in Andalucía was running at 65 per 100,000 and was being described as stabilising , after several days of increases . The situation in the region ’ s hospitals , and especially in ICUs , was also being described as stable .
However , in other regions . including Navarre and the Basque Country , infections were running at twice the national average , resulting in some regional governments considering reintroducing restrictions .
On November 20 , PM Pedro Sánchez confirmed that 5.2 million people aged between 60 and 69 , as well as health workers , will be next to get a third dose of vaccine . The Health Ministry says 97.8 per cent of this age group has now received their first two jabs .
Sr Sánchez stressed that Spain is “ much better equipped than a year ago ” to deal with another wave . “ Our cumulative incidence rate is , frankly , lower than that of other European countries ,” he said , but added that attention must now be focussed on the keeping down number of Covid cases in hospital wards and in ICUs .
The PM ’ s comments came just after it was revealed that six out of ten of the 447 coronavirus patients who were in ICUs on November 16 had not been vaccinated .
Meanwhile , Andalucía may introduce Covid passports . Speaking on November 20 , the present of the regional government , Juanma Moreno , said they could be “ progressively ” introduced to encourage people who have not yet been vaccinated to get the jab .
Disliked “ Gag Law ” to be amended
Spain ’ s controversial “ gag law ” is about to be amended . The Law on Citizen Security was introduced by the Partido Popular government six years ago , and some of its more extreme aspects are now expected to be toned down by the present coalition government made up of the PSOE and Unidas Podemos .
The new draft legislation is expected to be ready to present to Congress by the end of the year and will improve protection for protestors , including ending the absolute assumption of the veracity of police reports . It is also expected to change the restrictions on recording a protest , including taking video or photographs of police action , while a protestor ’ s possession of drugs will be reduced from a serious to a minor offence .
The new law will also address the use of aggressive anti-riot protocols , such as rubber bullets , while detention without justification will be reduced from six to two hours with strict conditions applied to body searches .
In addition , police will be obliged to return detained protestors to the point where they were held , instead of abandoning them at a police station which could be several kilometres away . Those subsequently fined will have their economic capacity considered when the punishment is applied .
The law passed by the Partido Popular in 2015 was criticised from the outset for impeding freedom of expression by imposing fines for protesting in front of parliament or for taking and sharing photographs of police officers . The left-wing opposition at the time claimed it was a way to clamp down on the street protests against political corruption and mismanagement of the economic crisis .
There has been a call to control Spain ’ s population of black rats . The National Association of Environmental Health Companies warned last month that numbers of the creature , which can carry several diseases , have boomed in the last few years . The black rat , which nests in trees , is mostly found in gardens and parks but does not populate sewage systems .
New operator
A new high-speed rail service will begin operating between Madrid and Málaga during 2022 . The operator , running services under the name “ iryo ,” launched its plans at Madrid ’ s Atocha station last month and promised the “ only fleet of totally new trains on the market .” The company , based in Valencia , has reportedly invested € 1,000 million and will create around 2,600 jobs .
Lorry strike
Spanish lorry drivers are set to strike nationally on December 20 , 21 and 22 . Their union says recent events have left them “ abandoned ” by the Government and has called for “ radical and urgent change .” Up to 5,000 professional lorry drivers in the province of Málaga could participate in the stoppage .
Licence limit
UK nationals who are resident in Spain have been reminded that British driving licences must be exchanged for a Spanish licence by December 31 . The original cutoff date of June 30 has been extended to the end of this year , after which UK licences become invalid for use by EU residents . Applying to exchange a licence from January 1 , 2022 , onwards may require the applicant to sit a Spanish driving test .
Cash find
Police in Ciudad Real discovered € 652,000 hidden in a vehicle which was stopped at a routine checkpoint on the A- 4 at Ciudad Real , south of Madrid , last month . The cash , all in small denomination banknotes , was seized after the car driver could not account for its origin . He was detained on suspicion of money laundering .
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