ANDALUCIA: ‘How many more COVID-19 deaths before we’re allowed to implement a total lockdown?’

THE Junta de Andalucia is continuing to demand extra powers from Madrid following a surge in coronavirus deaths. 

The most populous region wants to implement a 7pm curfew and implement home confinements in the worst hit municipalities. 

“How many deaths must there be for the Government of Spain to let us make decisions?” asked Junta spokesman Elias Bendodo at a press conference Tuesday. 

Bendodo said the third wave has seen an ‘explosive spread’ of the disease and that there are more patients in hospitals than ever before. 

As of Tuesday there are 4,980 COVID-19 sufferers in hospitals across the region, of which 705 are in intensive care. 

In the past 24 hours there have been 106 deaths, representing the deadliest day of the pandemic. 

The capital cities of Malaga and Almeria provinces have already exceeded 1,000 cases per 100,000 people and have had to shut all non-essential businesses. 

Bendodo said bars and restaurant owners are right to be furious at the central Government and said prime minister Pedro Sanchez was not doing enough to save such businesses. 

“The hoteliers are absolutely right in their claims to the Central Executive,” he said, “We ask that, if you do not give direct aid, you lower the VAT to 4%.”

It comes after president Juanma Moreno said the central Government was prolonging the pandemic but refusing to allow for home confinements and stricter curfews. 

Bendodo also demanded Spain ‘fight harder’ to get more vaccines after two weekends of Andalucia not being able to carry out any jabs. 

“We have had two consecutive weekends without vaccinating because there are not enough doses,” he told reporters, “ At the current rate we are not going to achieve the goal of immunizing 70% of the population by summer. 

“Yesterday we received 85,000 vaccinations, only 25% of the number needed. We demand more doses.”