Curbs out, foreign tourists in

People enjoy a day out at the beach in Roses on Sunday. Traffic flowed again across Spain's border with France as the last of the strict Spanish restrictions introduced in March were eased. Pic/AFP

Spain reopened its borders to European tourists on Sunday in a bid to kickstart its economy. It also dropped a 14-day quarantine for visitors from Britain and countries in Europe's visa-free Schengen travel zone to boost its vital tourism sector.

But there was only a trickle of travellers at Madrid's airport, which on a normal June day would be bustling. China and South Korea reported new cases on Sunday in outbreaks that threatened to set back their recovery. Chinese authorities reported 25 new cases - 22 in Beijing. Food and beverage giant PepsiCo has suspended its operations in Beijing after some of its employees tested positive. South Korea saw 48 new cases.

Some governments including Spain, Britain and France are relaxing controls and reviving business activity. But infections are rising in South Africa, Brazil, the US and some other countries. The new Coronavirus has infected over 8.8 million people and killed more than 464,000, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The true number is thought to be much higher because many cases go untested.

2,93,018
Total no. of COVID-19 cases in Spain

28,322
Total no. of COVID-19 deaths in Spain

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