In a wave of overwhelming joy, Spaniards danced in the streets and chanted "freedom," celebrating the end of the curfew aimed at combating the coronavirus in most parts of Spain. Similar to New Year's Eve celebrations, hundreds, mostly young people, gathered at Puerta del Sol to cheer as the clock struck midnight, while others flocked to beaches in Barcelona with their drinks. According to Reuters, the Barcelona police had a peculiar task: to urge people to return home when the last curfew in the city began at 10 PM, then allow them to return again at midnight as the curfew was lifted entirely.
Spain is among the most affected countries in Europe by the pandemic, with 78,792 deaths and 3.6 million confirmed COVID-19 cases. However, infection rates have decreased, and vaccinations are being administered rapidly, enabling most of the country's 17 regions to lift the curfews that were in effect until dawn. Only four regions still impose a curfew: the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Navarra, and Valencia. In Madrid, the right-wing regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso was recently re-elected following a campaign focused on easing restrictions, but the city, which has the second-highest infection rate in the country, still mandates that bars and restaurants close by midnight.
