Coronavirus: Another spike forces Spain into second local lockdown in 24 hours

A second localised lockdown has been ordered in Spain after a spike in coronavirus cases, with 70,000 people told they cannot leave an area in the country's northwest.

Residents of La Marina will be forced to stay put from midnight on Sunday until Friday after a spike in coronavirus cases in the area, located in the Galicia region.

Bars and restaurants will reduce their capacity by half and face masks will be compulsory, even if people are outdoors on beaches or at swimming pools, officials said.

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The biggest outbreaks were linked to several bars in the area, regional health minister Jesus Vazquez Almuina said on Sunday.

People will be allowed to move around La Marina, in the province of Lugo, but the only people allowed to enter or leave will be those who need to travel for work.

Coronavirus cases in Galicia have risen to 258, regional health authorities said, of which 117 were in Lugo.

Spain's prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, speaking at a political rally ahead of regional elections in Bilbao on Sunday, urged people not to lower their guard and to stay calm.

He said "the early detection of these outbreaks shows the health system is much better prepared".

On Saturday, similar measures were imposed on 200,000 people in Catalonia, specifically in the county of Segria, which includes the city of Lleida.

People were told by authorities not to leave the area from midday on Saturday, and were given until 4pm to enter the area if outside.

Spain's health minister, Salvador Illa, said on Sunday that the ministry was following the situations in Galicia and Catalonia very closely.

"Social distancing and lockdown measures were the key to flattening the curve. Now they are needed again to stop the outbreaks," he said in tweet.

No one will be confined to their homes under the local measures, as they were in Spain 's original strict lockdown, which came into force on 14 March as cases of coronavirus were rising around the world.

Spain has registered 205,545 coronavirus cases and 28,385 deaths, according to health ministry data, making it one of Europe's worst-affected countries.

Last week, Leicester became the first area in the UK to return to lockdown after a spike in coronavirus cases in the East Midlands city.