Category: Spain

Djokovic Has to Comply With Rules to Go to Spain, Prime Minister Says

MADRID—World men’s tennis No. 1 Novak Djokovic will have to comply with Spanish health rules to be able to travel to Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Monday. Answering a question on whether Djokovic would be allowed to enter Spain to compete after Australia deported him for being unvaccinated against COVID-19, Sanchez said: “Any…


Spanish Police Seize 300,000 COVID-19 Antigen Tests Suspected of Illegal Sale

The Spanish National Police seized some 300,000 unauthorized COVID-19 antigen tests in several industrial buildings near the nation’s capital, authorities said on Thursday. As reported by the national police, an investigation started on Dec. 28 after agents learned about the possible distribution of antigen tests that did not comply with specific protocols set by the…


Telefonica Reaches Agreement to Cut About 2,700 Jobs in Spain

MADRID—Spain’s Telefonica has reached an agreement with labor unions to cut some 15 percent of its domestic workforce via voluntary redundancies in a plan estimated to cost it 1.5 billion euros ($1.7 billion) this year, the telecoms group said on Tuesday. The plan to cut around 2,700 jobs in an increasingly competitive market in early…


Spanish Eruption’s End Brings ‘Emotional Relief,’ Rebuilding

MADRID—Authorities on one of Spain’s Canary Islands declared a volcanic eruption that started in September officially finished Saturday following 10 days of no lava flows, seismic activity, or significant sulfur dioxide emissions. But the emergency in La Palma, the most northwest island in the Atlantic Ocean archipelago, is not over due to the widespread damage…


Greece, Italy, Spain Reimpose Outdoor Mask Mandates, Increase Restrictions, Citing Omicron

The governments of Greece, Italy, and Spain have reimposed outdoor mask mandates and introduced some new COVID-19 rules ahead of Christmas, citing the spread of the Omicron variant. Greece announced new restrictions on Thursday that include requiring people to wear masks for all outdoor and public areas. Meanwhile, double-masking or more protective filtering facepiece (FFP2) masks will…


US Urges Americans to Avoid Travel to Spain, Finland Over COVID-19 Concerns

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday advised Americans against travel to eight destinations including Spain, Finland, Chad, and Lebanon. The CDC also added Bonaire, Monaco, San Marino, and Gibraltar to its “Level 4: Very High” classification. It now lists about 85 countries at its highest level, including nearly all of…


La Liga Sells Spanish Broadcast Rights for Over $5 Billion for 5 Years

MADRID—Spain’s top soccer league has generated 4.95 billion euros ($5.6 billion) from the sale of subscription broadcast domestic rights for five seasons. La Liga has sold games for live broadcast in Spain to a streaming service for the first time with DAZN picking up the rights to 175 matches per season. Telefonica-owned Movistar has the…


Floods in Northern Spain Blamed for 2 Deaths, Lost Crops

MADRID—More than 50 people were evacuated Monday from areas in northern Spain hit by record flooding following heavy rain and snowfall. Spanish authorities blamed the flooding of swollen rivers for the deaths of at least two people since Friday, and the regions of Navarra and Aragón remained under severe weather warnings. In Novillas, a village…


Fire in Barcelona Kills Family of 4, Including 2 Children

MADRID—A fire in part of a building occupied by squatters in central Barcelona killed four members of the same family, including two children ages 1 and 3, on Tuesday morning, a local government spokeswoman said. Firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze after rescuing four more people, who are being treated for smoke inhalation, the Barcelona…


Spain Detects First Omicron Case, COVID-19 Infections Rise

MADRID—Spain has detected its first case of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus in a 51-year-old man who arrived from South Africa on Sunday after a layover in Amsterdam, Madrid’s regional health authority said on Monday as Spain’s overall infection rate rose. The microbiology unit at Madrid’s Gregorio Maranon hospital, which sequenced and confirmed the…