A Spanish court on Thursday lifted a coronavirus curfew imposed on most of Catalonia, including the capital Barcelona, leaving it in place in just a fraction of the northeastern region.

Catalonia's government in mid-July imposed a nightly curfew between 1:00 am and 6:00 am in most municipalities to fight a surge in virus cases, and the region's top court then gave the green light to extend it three times.

But on Friday, faced with a request by the regional government to keep the curfew in place in 148 municipalities, the High Court of Justice of Catalonia said the measure was "not justified" in 129 of them, because infection rates there had improved.

"In these circumstances, the measures are not so much justified on health grounds, but for reasons of security or public order," the court said in its ruling.

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The Catalan government said in a statement it was "analysing" the court's ruling, but added it "regrets that once again judges are acting as epidemiologists".

The curfew is intended to discourage social gatherings on beaches and in parks after nightclubs close at 12.30 am, which was suspected of fuelling a spike in cases of the highly-contagious Delta variant, especially among unvaccinated young people.

Images of large groups of youths gathering on Barcelona's beaches or in popular nightlife districts have become common since Spain lifted a nationwide night-time curfew in early May.

The court did however keep in place for one more week a ban on public or private gatherings of more than 10 people throughout Catalonia.

Falling infections

Like the rest of Spain, the region which is popular with tourists has seen its number of infections drop in recent weeks.

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When Catalonia imposed the curfew in mid-July it had an infection rate double Spain's national average, with more than 1,000 cases per 100,000 inhabitants over 14 days.

But on Wednesday that figure had fallen to 328, lower than the national average of 378, according to the health ministry's latest figures.

In Barcelona, Spain's second-largest city, the rate is down to 130 cases per 100,000 people.

Catalonia's hospitals, however, remain under pressure.

Forty-two percent of the region's intensive care unit beds are occupied by Covid-19 patients, double the national average.

The Catalan government at the end of July suspended routine surgeries to free up hospital resources.

It also set up mobile vaccination units to target areas with lower inoculation rates and deployed drones to monitor beaches and prevent crowding.

Spain has fully vaccinated 64.1 percent of its population against the virus, one of the highest rates in Europe.

A Spanish court on Thursday lifted a coronavirus curfew imposed on most of Catalonia, including the capital Barcelona, leaving it in place in just a fraction of the northeastern region.

A Spanish court on Thursday lifted a coronavirus curfew imposed on most of Catalonia, including the capital Barcelona, leaving it in place in just a fraction of the northeastern region. Catalonia's government in mid-July imposed a nightly curfew between 1:00 am and 6:00 am in most municipalities to fight a surge in virus cases, and the region's top court then gave the green light to extend it three times. But on Friday, faced with a request by the regional government to keep the curfew in place in 148 municipalities, the High Court of Justice of Catalonia said the measure was "not justified" in 129 of them, because infection rates there had improved. "In these circumstances, the measures are not so much justified on health grounds, but for reasons of security or public order," the court said in its ruling. Also read : 'Delta poses a greater threat': New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern defends lockdown call The Catalan government said in a statement it was "analysing" the court's ruling, but added it "regrets that once again judges are acting as epidemiologists". The curfew is intended to discourage social gatherings on beaches and in parks after nightclubs close at 12.30 am, which was suspected of fuelling a spike in cases of the highly-contagious Delta variant, especially among unvaccinated young people. Images of large groups of youths gathering on Barcelona's beaches or in popular nightlife districts have become common since Spain lifted a nationwide night-time curfew in early May. The court did however keep in place for one more week a ban on public or private gatherings of more than 10 people throughout Catalonia. Falling infections Like the rest of Spain, the region which is popular with tourists has seen its number of infections drop in recent weeks. Also read : Anti-mask mandate Texas governor tests positive for Covid When Catalonia imposed the curfew in mid-July it had an infection rate double Spain's national average, with more than 1,000 cases per 100,000 inhabitants over 14 days. But on Wednesday that figure had fallen to 328, lower than the national average of 378, according to the health ministry's latest figures. In Barcelona, Spain's second-largest city, the rate is down to 130 cases per 100,000 people. Catalonia's hospitals, however, remain under pressure. Forty-two percent of the region's intensive care unit beds are occupied by Covid-19 patients, double the national average. The Catalan government at the end of July suspended routine surgeries to free up hospital resources. It also set up mobile vaccination units to target areas with lower inoculation rates and deployed drones to monitor beaches and prevent crowding. Spain has fully vaccinated 64.1 percent of its population against the virus, one of the highest rates in Europe.

Spain court orders end to Barcelona coronavirus curfew

Coronavirus curfew was announced on Monday in Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city. Residents would now confined to their homes overnight. The measure was taken as a part of authorities' efforts to stamp out Delta variant ourbreak.&nbsp;

On Monday evening, more than five million residents would not be able to leave their homes between 9 pm and 5 am. Essential workers would be required to get special permits to be on the streets.

Victoria state premier Dan Andrews said the decision came after a series of street parties, pub crawls and home gatherings over the weekend, as Melbourne reached a "tipping point" in its latest outbreak.

"We've seen lots of different people flouting these rules, not doing as they should, making really poor choices," he said.

He also announced the restrictions would be extended to September 2. He said it was necessary for Melbourne to avoid a Sydney-like situation.

More than eight million people in New South Wales state are under lockdown -- including in Sydney where residents have already been under those restrictions for almost two months.

Since the outbreak began in mid-June, Australia's most populous state has recorded more than 8200 cases.

A snap lockdown was announced for the northern city of Darwin on Monday, with about 150,000 people told to stop non-essential movements for three days after a man tested positive.

"We have made the decision to lock down fast because of what we do not know," Northern Territory chief minister Michael Gunner said.

"There is a very real risk that this virus has been transmitted to others."

Australia's capital Canberra will also remain in lockdown until September 2 as health officials grapple with a small but growing outbreak in the city.

Australia won global praise for its early pandemic response but strict border closures and other measures have struggled to contain the highly transmissible Delta variant.

(With inputs from agencies)

Coronavirus curfew was announced on Monday in Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city. Residents would now confined to their homes overnight. The measure was taken as a part of authorities' efforts to stamp out Delta variant ourbreak.

Coronavirus curfew was announced on Monday in Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city. Residents would now confined to their homes overnight. The measure was taken as a part of authorities' efforts to stamp out Delta variant ourbreak. On Monday evening, more than five million residents would not be able to leave their homes between 9 pm and 5 am. Essential workers would be required to get special permits to be on the streets. Victoria state premier Dan Andrews said the decision came after a series of street parties, pub crawls and home gatherings over the weekend, as Melbourne reached a "tipping point" in its latest outbreak. "We've seen lots of different people flouting these rules, not doing as they should, making really poor choices," he said. He also announced the restrictions would be extended to September 2. He said it was necessary for Melbourne to avoid a Sydney-like situation. More than eight million people in New South Wales state are under lockdown -- including in Sydney where residents have already been under those restrictions for almost two months. Since the outbreak began in mid-June, Australia's most populous state has recorded more than 8200 cases. A snap lockdown was announced for the northern city of Darwin on Monday, with about 150,000 people told to stop non-essential movements for three days after a man tested positive. "We have made the decision to lock down fast because of what we do not know," Northern Territory chief minister Michael Gunner said. "There is a very real risk that this virus has been transmitted to others." Australia's capital Canberra will also remain in lockdown until September 2 as health officials grapple with a small but growing outbreak in the city. Australia won global praise for its early pandemic response but strict border closures and other measures have struggled to contain the highly transmissible Delta variant. (With inputs from agencies)

Australia: Coronavirus curfew announced in Melbourne

Contrary to the popular belief of anti-lockdown supporters, a study has revealed that lockdowns are not more harmful to health than <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">coronavirus</a> itself.

An analysis of global health data suggested that there is very little evidence that supports the idea that the way of breaking the chain of the spread of Covid is worse than the virus itself.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-prime-minister-boris-johnson-didnt-want-lockdown-as-only-the-elderly-were-dying-his-ex-aide-says-399120" hreflang="en">British Prime Minister Boris Johnson didn't want lockdown as only the elderly were dying, his ex-aide says&nbsp;</a>

The study published in the journal BMJ Global Health researched data of countries that imposed strict curfews with few Covid cases and tried to assess if it led to an increase in the death rate, in general.

Data regarding all-cause mortality was collected from 94 countries. As per the analysis, countries such as Australia and New Zealand showed no specific increase in the general mortality rate. However, countries where the Covid curfew was not imposed very strictly (such as Brazil, Sweden, Russia and some states in the US), observed large numbers of excess deaths during the pandemic.

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"It is … one of the most compelling pieces of evidence to support the notion that the cure was not worse than the disease," author Prof Gavin Yamey, from the Duke Global&nbsp;Health&nbsp;Institute at Duke University said. "It does seem that countries that acted quickly and aggressively often had fewer deaths than in previous years. One study showed that lockdown may have reduced annual mortality by up to 6% from eliminating flu transmission alone."

However, researchers have also been very clear that this data cannot be used to draw conclusions for every country, in every situation. They have also stressed that the extra-mortality data cannot rule out the harms caused by the lockdown. The data can also not conclude that lockdowns are extremely beneficial, especially since few countries did not pursue such strategies.

Contrary to the popular belief of anti-lockdown supporters, a study has revealed that lockdowns are not more harmful to health than coronavirus itself. An analysis of global health data suggested that there is very little evidence that supports the idea that the way of breaking the chain of the spread of Covid is worse than the virus itself.

Contrary to the popular belief of anti-lockdown supporters, a study has revealed that lockdowns are not more harmful to health than coronavirus itself. An analysis of global health data suggested that there is very little evidence that supports the idea that the way of breaking the chain of the spread of Covid is worse than the virus itself. Also read | British Prime Minister Boris Johnson didn't want lockdown as only the elderly were dying, his ex-aide says The study published in the journal BMJ Global Health researched data of countries that imposed strict curfews with few Covid cases and tried to assess if it led to an increase in the death rate, in general. Data regarding all-cause mortality was collected from 94 countries. As per the analysis, countries such as Australia and New Zealand showed no specific increase in the general mortality rate. However, countries where the Covid curfew was not imposed very strictly (such as Brazil, Sweden, Russia and some states in the US), observed large numbers of excess deaths during the pandemic. Also read | Reimposition of Covid curfews cannot be ruled out in France: Minister "It is … one of the most compelling pieces of evidence to support the notion that the cure was not worse than the disease," author Prof Gavin Yamey, from the Duke Global Health Institute at Duke University said. "It does seem that countries that acted quickly and aggressively often had fewer deaths than in previous years. One study showed that lockdown may have reduced annual mortality by up to 6% from eliminating flu transmission alone." However, researchers have also been very clear that this data cannot be used to draw conclusions for every country, in every situation. They have also stressed that the extra-mortality data cannot rule out the harms caused by the lockdown. The data can also not conclude that lockdowns are extremely beneficial, especially since few countries did not pursue such strategies.

Lockdowns are not more harmful than coronavirus: Study

A <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/protesters-in-netherlands-clash-with-police-for-third-consecutive-day-over-coronavirus-curfew-359503">Dutch</a> appeals court ruled in favour of the state after the lower court ordered the government to lift a nationwide coronavirus curfew.

Watch:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/netherlands-explosion-seen-as-anti-lockdown-protesters-run-from-dutch-police-359570/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Protests had erupted in the Netherlands after the government imposed nighttime curfew even as the government said it was needed to fight the pandemic.&nbsp;

A case was launched by a group which managed to get the curfew order lifted, however, the appeals court judge said: "In this case, the state's interests weigh more than that of virus truth's."

The lockdown which was introduced on January 23 amid a surge in coronavirus case was met with large scale protests. Netherlands hasn't experienced curfew since the end of World War II.

The curfew allows only people with a pressing need to be outdoors between 9 pm and 4:30am and was extended until at least March 3.

A judge said the court wanted to prevent a "yo-yo effect" adding, "if we as the court don't grant a suspension, the curfew will be off."

"What happens then if there is a decision in the main case to re-enforce the curfew?" the judge asked.

"The aim is to control the virus as much as possible so that soon we will have all our freedoms back, but in a safe way. That is why we introduced the curfew," Dutch PM Mark Rutte said.

PM Rutte had appealed to citizens to "keep the curfew", a plea which was eventually upheld by the appeal court on Tuesday.

A Dutch appeals court ruled in favour of the state after the lower court ordered the government to lift a nationwide coronavirus curfew. Watch: Protests had erupted in the Netherlands after the government imposed nighttime curfew even as the government said it was needed to fight the pandemic.

A Dutch appeals court ruled in favour of the state after the lower court ordered the government to lift a nationwide coronavirus curfew. Watch: Protests had erupted in the Netherlands after the government imposed nighttime curfew even as the government said it was needed to fight the pandemic. A case was launched by a group which managed to get the curfew order lifted, however, the appeals court judge said: "In this case, the state's interests weigh more than that of virus truth's." The lockdown which was introduced on January 23 amid a surge in coronavirus case was met with large scale protests. Netherlands hasn't experienced curfew since the end of World War II. The curfew allows only people with a pressing need to be outdoors between 9 pm and 4:30am and was extended until at least March 3. A judge said the court wanted to prevent a "yo-yo effect" adding, "if we as the court don't grant a suspension, the curfew will be off." "What happens then if there is a decision in the main case to re-enforce the curfew?" the judge asked. "The aim is to control the virus as much as possible so that soon we will have all our freedoms back, but in a safe way. That is why we introduced the curfew," Dutch PM Mark Rutte said. PM Rutte had appealed to citizens to "keep the curfew", a plea which was eventually upheld by the appeal court on Tuesday.

Coronavirus curfew row: Dutch appeals court suspends lower court's order

Culture deficiency: A French city's Mayor reopens museums defying coronavirus rules

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/anti-curfew-demonstrations-erupt-in-netherlands-as-europe-battles-virus-359222">Netherlands</a> witnessed the third day of rioting over coronavirus curfew as the government said it will not back down to rioters.

Watch:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/netherlands-anti-curfew-protests-spark-clashes-with-police-359213/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Protesters in&nbsp;Geleen&nbsp;town&nbsp;came out on the streets against strict night-time curfew amid the lockdown as clashes erupted&nbsp;with police. The demonstrators had earlier attacked police over the weekend.

The curfew was imposed after the National Institute for Health (RIVM) warned about a new wave of infections due to the "British variant" of COVID-19 as 4,129 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Monday.

Finance minister Wopke Hoekstra said that those responsible for the riots were not legitimate protesters. Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte had called the riots "unacceptable" as protesters rampaged through cities on Monday.

Riot police had clashed with demonstrators in Amsterdam and Rotterdam as protesters smashed shop windows even as the police deployed water cannon.

The riots spread to several cities including Amersfoort, The Hague and Den Bosch. Reports said police had arrested around 250 people after using water cannon and tear gas during demonstrations in Amsterdam, Eindhoven and other towns.

&nbsp;The country has witnessed the first curfew since World War II which took effect late on Saturday. The curfew has been set for &nbsp;9 pm to 4:30 am and is set to last until at least February 10.&nbsp;

&nbsp;The country has recorded 952,950 <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-may-keep-its-borders-closed-for-much-of-2021-amid-pandemic-359474">coronavirus</a> infections with 13,579 deaths so far.

The Netherlands witnessed the third day of rioting over coronavirus curfew as the government said it will not back down to rioters. Watch: Protesters in Geleen town came out on the streets against strict night-time curfew amid the lockdown as clashes erupted with police.

The Netherlands witnessed the third day of rioting over coronavirus curfew as the government said it will not back down to rioters. Watch: Protesters in Geleen town came out on the streets against strict night-time curfew amid the lockdown as clashes erupted with police. The demonstrators had earlier attacked police over the weekend. The curfew was imposed after the National Institute for Health (RIVM) warned about a new wave of infections due to the "British variant" of COVID-19 as 4,129 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Monday. Finance minister Wopke Hoekstra said that those responsible for the riots were not legitimate protesters. Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte had called the riots "unacceptable" as protesters rampaged through cities on Monday. Riot police had clashed with demonstrators in Amsterdam and Rotterdam as protesters smashed shop windows even as the police deployed water cannon. The riots spread to several cities including Amersfoort, The Hague and Den Bosch. Reports said police had arrested around 250 people after using water cannon and tear gas during demonstrations in Amsterdam, Eindhoven and other towns. The country has witnessed the first curfew since World War II which took effect late on Saturday. The curfew has been set for 9 pm to 4:30 am and is set to last until at least February 10. The country has recorded 952,950 coronavirus infections with 13,579 deaths so far.

Protesters in Netherlands clash with police for third consecutive day over coronavirus curfew

Paris's famous Rodin Museum sculpture garden has reopened to visitors. Visitors queued for entry on Sunday, a day after France instituted a tightened nationwide coronavirus curfew on Saturday.

Paris' Rodin Museum sky garden reopens

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