Enhanced and extended confinement in central Catalonia covid-19 cluster
Towns of Igualada, Vilanova del Camí, Santa Margarida de Montbui and Òdena, in quarantine since March 13, have seen 63.1 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants
The quarantine of the covid-19 cluster focussed around the town of Igualada in central Catalonia is to be extended and enhanced for another two weeks.
Interior Minister Miquel Buch announced 'phase 2' of the confinement at a press conference on Wednesday evening. Only essential services are to be carried out with all others halted for 15 days.
"Everyone, and I mean everyone, must stay home" said Buch, adding, "we are not doing this because we want to, but because we have to."
Buch highlighted the seriousness of the situation by comparing Igualada's coronavirus fatality rate of 63.1 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants to Catalonia's rate of 6.9 deaths, Spain's 7.4 deaths, Madrid's 27.9 deaths, and the Italian region of Lombardy's 41.6 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants.
Catalan health minister Alba Vergés, a resident of Igualada, also spoke about the measures: "They are very drastic but necessary."
Vergés said that transmission rate reduction can only occur if everyone stays home.
The health minister confimred there were 306 positive cases in the area, of which 140 are health professionals. 41 people have died.
The towns of Igualada, Vilanova del Camí, Santa Margarida de Montbui and Òdena have been in quarantine since March 13.
According to 2019 figures from the Catalan Statistics Institute, the area in lockdown, shown in the map above, has a total population of 66048.
An investigation into that the outbreak that led to the four towns being completely sealed off by police showed it could be traced back to a lunch held on February 28 that was attended by 80 people, many of whom work in Igualada Hospital.