Spain struggles to contain COVID-19 as contagion rate rises

MADRID: Spain's two-week coronavirus contagion rate rose to 537 cases per 100,000 inhabitants on Friday, according to health ministry data, as the country struggled to cope with a surge in COVID-19 cases.

Tourist magnet Catalonia has been the hardest hit, with the 14-day contagion rate rising to 1,160 cases per 100,000 people, according to health ministry data. In early June, authorities in Spain were breathing a sigh of relief at having brought COVID-19 cases down to a trickle.