Basque Country Health Minister Says Region Experiencing COVID-19 Second Wave - Reports

Basque Country Health Minister Says Region Experiencing COVID-19 Second Wave - Reports

The Basque Country in Spain is currently experiencing a second wave of the COVID-19 outbreak due to a surge in new cases, the health minister of the autonomous region, Nekane Murga, said on Thursday, as reported by El Pais newspaper

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th August, 2020) The Basque Country in Spain is currently experiencing a second wave of the COVID-19 outbreak due to a surge in new cases, the health minister of the autonomous region, Nekane Murga, said on Thursday, as reported by El Pais newspaper.

Speaking at a press conference, Murga said that the region is "in the second wave of the coronavirus outbreak," adding that this has been caused by a "significant rise" in positive tests over recent days, as quoted by the newspaper.

The regional health official urged residents to adhere to social distancing regulations and wear protective facial coverings at all times. According to the newspaper, 338 new cases of COVID-19 were registered in the Basque Country over the preceding 24 hours.

A surge in new coronavirus disease cases has been observed in Spain since the government lifted the bulk of the lockdown measures in late June. On Wednesday, the country's Health Ministry registered 1,772 new positive tests, a significant rise from the 1,178 new cases registered the day before.

Local governments in Spain have begun imposing regional lockdowns in areas that have shown an uptick in cases. In July, self-isolation measures were reintroduced for two weeks in the city of Lleida, in north-eastern Catalonia, amid a new outbreak of the disease.