MADRID: New restrictions to stop the spread of the new coronavirus, including the closure of discos and a partial ban on smoking outdoors, went into effect Sunday in two Spanish regions. The ban on smoking on the streets is already in place in two of Spain’s 17 autonomous regions, Galicia and the Canary Islands. Nearly 29,000 people have died so far from COVID-19 in Spain, which declared a state of emergency between March 14 and June 21 that allowed the central government to impose restrictions nationwide. With the state of emergency subsequently lifted, autonomy has been handed back to the regional authorities. The health ministry has had to negotiate with them to impose the new measures on a nationwide basis.

Source: Ethiopian News August 16, 2020 10:18 UTC