Border police officers check vehicles at the last toll gate entering Spain from France, following an order from the Spanish government to set up controls at its land borders over coronavirus. (Reuters)

With coronavirus cases rising, Spain locks down a county of 200,000 people

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The Associated Press, Lleida

Published: 04 July ,2020: 01:25 PM GST Updated: 04 July ,2020: 01:45 PM GST

Authorities in northeastern Spain on Saturday ordered the lockdown of a county around the city of Lleida due to worrying outbreaks of the COVID-19 virus.

Catalan regional authorities announced that as of noon local time movement will be restricted to and from El Segriá, around Lleida, which is home to over 200,000 people. Residents will have until 4 p.m. local to enter the area.

For more on coronavirus, visit our dedicated section.

This is the first restriction of free movement since the end of Spain’s state of emergency on June 21.

Regional health authorities said Friday that they had registered a jump in 60 cases in 24 hours, taking the total number of infections to over 4,000 in the county.

The new outbreaks are linked to agricultural workers in the rural area.

Spain was completely locked down from March to June to get its coronavirus outbreak under control, before its national government ended a state of emergency. Over 28,000 people are confirmed to have died from the virus in Spain.

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