Authorities lift restrictions on Spanish town

Authorities in northeastern Spain on Monday lifted a total lockdown imposed around one of the first clusters of coronavirus infections in the country to be cordoned off.

However, as the rest of the nation continued under strict confinement measures, the change around four towns an hour from Barcelona was barely visible, with streets remaining largely empty.

Over 60,000 people in the area around the town of Igualada have been confined to their homes since March 13 with police blocking access in and out of the perimetre circling them.

The rest of Spain joined in the self-isolation gradually after that.

But for Angel Ricard, the easing of restrictions made a huge difference.

Because of the lockdown around Igualada, Ricard hadn't seen his seven-year-old son, who had been with his mother in a town outside the cordoned-off perimeter, for over a month.

As the checkpoints were dismantled on Monday, Ricard was finally able to pick up his son and drive him back home.

Other residents who work in jobs considered essential were also allowed in and out of the perimeter on Monday.

Still, for the most part of people without essential reasons to leave their homes, nothing changed, they remained inside as did the rest of Spain.

Health workers in the hospital of Igualada seemed more relieved as infections rates in what was once one of the worst cluster of infections in Spain seemed to stabilise.

Following that trend, infections rates across the country seemed to slow down although health authorities warned against complacency and highlighted the importance of the confinement measures to quash the curve definitively.

Spain last weekend extended its national state of alarm, begun March 15, through April 26.

As of Monday Spain has 135,032 confirmed cases, 13,169 deaths and 40,437 recovered.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.

The vast majority of people recover.