Virus cases surge in Spain, Portugal amid vaccination in Europe
Chefs protest against coronavirus restrictions in Barcelona
Amid the vaccination campaign in Europe, Spain reported a record 40,197 new COVID-19 cases on Monday adding to the pressure on hospitals and health services.
Watch:
The incidence of the disease measured over the past 14 days hit a new high of 575 cases per hundred thousand people, climbing from 522 cases the previous day.
Health officials have blamed lax adherence to restrictions on travel and socialising over the Christmas holidays for the surge which has prompted several regions to tighten measures over the past week.
Madrid which has some of the loosest restrictions in the country, authorities brought forward a night curfew by one hour to 11 pm and urged residents not to socialise in other peoples' houses
In Portugal, the government announced stricter lockdown restrictions as surging COVID-19 pandemic set grim records and pushed hospitals to the limit of their capacity.
Prime Minister António Costa said that too many people had taken advantage of exceptions included in the lockdown that began last Friday, with authorities reporting 70 per cent of normal movement over the weekend.
Costa said: "We are going through the most serious phase of the pandemic" as he urged people to comply with the rules. The Portugal prime minister announced that January sales at stores are banned, as are gatherings of any number of people in public areas.
The country has decided to deploy more police outside schools which remain open to prevent students from forming groups.
Europe is the hardest-hit continent due to the virus with as Pfizer declared that deliveries of the vaccine would be back to the original schedule to the EU from January 25 amid criticism over slow rollout of vaccines.
Several European countries including Italy and Switzerland tightened curbs amid a surge in cases as Britain declared all air passengers will be tested on arrival.