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One in 20 people in Spain have had coronavirus, national survey finds

Residents, wearing white clothes and traditional red scarves, take a selfie in front of the City Hall, on the day the ''txupinazo'' would usually take place to start the famous San Fermin festival, which was due canceled this year by the conoravirus, in Pamplona, northern Spain, Monday, July 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)
Residents take a selfie on Monday in Pamplona, northern Spain. (AP Photo)

More than one in 20 people in Spain have had coronavirus, a national survey has found.

The nationwide antibody study discovered that 5.2% of Spanish people have been exposed to COVID-19.

The study has tested almost 70,000 people across Spain every month for the past three months, and the number of infected has held firm around the 5% mark since May.

The figures are backed up by those from Johns Hopkins University, which reports more than 250,000 coronavirus cases out of a population of 47 million people.

It says there have been more than 28,385 COVID-19 deaths in Spain, one of the worst-hit countries.

In the UK there have been more than 286,000 cases and more than 44,300 deaths, Johns Hopkins University says, although the death toll is thought to be significantly higher.

Spain’s coronavirus lockdown was introduced on 14 March, nine days before UK restrictions were announced by Boris Johnson.

Spain reopened its borders to foreign visitors at the beginning of this month after a pilot project allowing 10,000 German visitors into the Balearic Islands, while small shops have been open since 11 May.

 Workers are seen disinfecting chairs before the movie at La Malagueta beach amid coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreaks. During the summer season, the event 'Open cinema' welcomes free screenings of movies from 2 July until 20 August in different outdoors places like beaches, parks or district zones as people enjoy free films on this occasions, this places have to adapt safety and health measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Jesus Merida / SOPA Images/Sipa USA)
Workers disinfect chairs before the screening of a film at La Malagueta beach in Malaga, Spain. (PA)

However, on Sunday, the second of two local lockdowns were introduced in Spain following outbreaks.

Restrictions were reimposed on about 70,000 people in the Galicia region in the north-west of the country on Sunday, a day after Catalonia reintroduced its own local lockdown.

It mirrors the situation in the UK, where the city of Leicester and its surrounding area were put back into lockdown by the government after cases spiked.

Leicester was not permitted to reopen bars, restaurants, cinemas and theatres on Saturday like the rest of England.

Spain’s regional health minister Jesus Vazquez Almuina said the new outbreak was linked to several bars in the Galicia area, where there are 258 new cases.

Capacity in bars and restaurants will be reduced to 50% under the new lockdown, while people must wear face masks at the beach or swimming pool.

On Saturday, measures were reimposed on 210,000 people in Segria, Catalonia, after an outbreak.

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