28th March 2024
Spanish police
Barcelona News Catalonia News Madrid News Main News Travel & Tourism

Spain-Portugal border controls extended until 1 March

Latest: Coronavirus in Spain figures (25 Feb)

The Spanish government has announced that border controls along its 1,200-km border with Portugal will be extended until 1 March, with both countries still trying to combat a rise in Coronavirus infections and deaths.

‘The severity of the restrictive mobility measures still in force in Spain and Portugal justifies maintaining … controls at the internal land border … with the same limitations applied during the initial ten days,’ Spain’s Interior Ministry announced in the government’s official bulletin.

The two governments had agreed to close the border from 28 January, except for non-essential travel and for cross-border workers, health workers and truck drivers.

Spanish police
Spanish police at land border controls during the Coronavirus crisis.

A surge in infections in Portugal since Christmas has left hospitals on the verge of collapse, prompting a strict nationwide lockdown. Hospitalisations and ICU occupancy remains high.

Latest Covid-19 figures released yesterday in Spain have shown that overall accumulated incidence rate has dropped to 667,33 per 100,000 inhabitants for the past 14 days. However, it remains over 900 in Castilla y León, the Valencia region and La Rioja.

There are currently 27,739 people requiring hospital treatment for Covid-19 in Spain, of which 4,732 are in intensive care. This represents over 43% occupation of ICUs by Covid-19 patients. It remains over 50% in five regions: Castilla La Mancha, Castilla y LeónValenciaMadrid and La Rioja – as well as in the autonomous city of Melilla.

Spain has also extended the restrictions on flights from the UK in order to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 variant until 6pm on 16 February. Flights from the UK were originally suspended from 22 December, with Spanish nationals and residents being the only groups still eligible to travel. Passenger ships between the UK and Spain are similarly affected.

Click here for all previous reports on: Coronavirus in Spain

ALSO READ: Details of curfews & restrictions for all regions of Spain during ‘State of Alarm’

Sign up for the FREE Weekly Newsletter from Spain in English

Please support Spain in English with a donation.

Click here to get your business activity or services listed on our DIRECTORY

Recent Posts

Spain’s Guardia Civil detain man for allegedly promoting IS terror online

News Desk

Spanish government takes 3% stake in Telefónica after Saudi deal concerns

News Desk

Vinícius breaks down while talking about racist insults he’s suffered in Spain

News Desk

Dani Alves released after paying €1m bail, awaiting appeal of rape conviction

News Desk

Spain’s High Court halts temporary suspension order of Telegram’s services

News Desk

At least three dead after migrant dinghy runs into trouble off south of Spain

News Desk

Leave a Comment