Europe
2021.11.26 21:37 GMT+8

With just four coronavirus deaths in the past two weeks, Spain is bucking the European trend

Updated 2021.11.26 21:37 GMT+8
Rahul Pathak in Madrid

 

At 9 a.m. the students at the Everest school in Madrid take part in their morning roll call. Everyone wears a mask.

Even though a nationwide requirement to use a face covering has been relaxed, some schools like the Everest have chosen to continue with the measure to keep infection rates low.

Many of the pupils aged over 12 (the youngest age permitted) are vaccinated.

"Most of our students are now vaccinated, which has helped us a lot with prevention of infection and, most importantly, has reduced the number of students who need to quarantine. So that is much better for their education as remote learning is simply not the same," Vice Principal Asunta Serrano-Depablo told CGTN Europe.

 

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The situation in the school mirrors that of wider society – the population of Spain has embraced the vaccination drive, with 89 percent of all adults double vaccinated, one of the highest rates in Europe. Many Spaniards have also continued to wear masks outdoors, even though it's not mandatory.

European Centre for Disease Prevention (ECDC) figures released this week have shown that just four people died in Spain over the past two weeks, one of the lowest death rates in Europe. The uptake of booster jabs has also been encouraging.

"The fact that older people who are fully vaccinated are now getting a booster jab gives us real hope. From our experience, this will help keep them protected. From what we are seeing, it seems it's working," Antonio Garcia, a vaccination coordinator at one of Madrid's main vaccination points, said.

However, while Spain is still considered low-risk in many regions, some areas such as Catalonia and the Basque country have recorded spikes in recent days, demonstrating to the authorities and public that there is no room for complacency.

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