Spain eyes looser lockdown after kids allowed outside

Spanish authorities on Mondayprepared to further loosen one of Europe's toughest coronaviruslockdowns and played down concerns that letting childrenoutdoors after six weeks had led to crowds forming in publicspaces.

Having suffered one of the world's deadliest outbreaks ofthe COVID-19 pandemic, Spain shut down public lifeon March 14 to curb its spread, but recently began to easerestrictions as it reined in the infection rate. The governmentis now preparing to phase out further restrictions on mobility.

In the most significant relaxation of the lockdown yet, onSunday children under 14 were granted one hour of dailysupervised outdoor activity if they adhered to physical distancingguidelines and stayed within one kilometreof their homes.

Health Minister Salvador Illa told a news conference thefirst day under the new regulations had gone well and thebehaviour of most people had been "exemplary," though againstressed the need for all to observe physical distancing rules.

Some local authorities had complained parents were allowingtheir kids to flout the regulations, and TV footage showed largecrowds gathering in parks and on boardwalks across the country.

In the capital Madrid, police deployed drones to patrolrecreational areas, broadcasting the new rules over loudspeakerand monitoring for any breaches.

"The rules are there to protect your children's health,"Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said.

He said he hadreceived reports of entire families out strolling together andchildren playing in groups, both of which remain prohibited.

At a press briefing in Barcelona, Catalan regional interiorsecretary Miquel Buch called for more nuanced regulations suchas allowing children of different ages out at different times toavoid crowds.

He also said that, in future, the Spanish government shouldset aside specific times for vulnerable groups, such as theelderly, to be outdoors.

More testing underway

A long-awaited study into the prevalence of the coronavirusamong the Spanish population began on Monday. Directed by theCarlos III Health Institute, it aims to test 36,000 familiesfor the presence of antibodies generated to fight off the virus.

It should help researchers identify people who were infectedbut never tested because they did not become ill enough to seekmedical attention or never developed symptoms.

The testing will help the government gauge the real extentof the epidemic, taking into account also those who may beimmune or resistant to the infection.

"Its relevance goes beyond the purely scientific," said theinstitute's director, Raquel Yotti. "The goal is to helpus make public-health decisions."

Daily fatalities from the virus rose by 331 on Monday to atotal of 23,521, edging up from 288 the previous day but wellbelow the daily peak of more than 900 recorded in early April.Cumulative cases rose to 209,465 from 207,634 the day before.

If the daily death toll continues to fall, Spaniards of allages will be allowed to exercise outdoors startingMay 2, PrimeMinister Pedro Snchez announced on Saturday.

He also said his cabinet would approve on Tuesday a widerplan to lift restrictions and gradually restart the country'sstuttering economy.

Although some key businesses have continued to operatethrough the shutdown, bars and restaurants remain closed and thecountry's vital tourism sector has ground to a halt.

Other companiesthathad halted production are resuming tradein Spain as the contagion eases. Car-maker Volkswagen said Monday it would restart its assembly lines atits Seat factories in Spain.

The lockdown loosening will not be rolled out by theauthorities in unison across the country. Instead, each regionwill decide its own plan based on several criteria, includingthe infection rate and capacity of local health services.