Spanish justice extended by 14 days the nighttime curfew introduced in much of the region of Catalonia (North-East) on Wednesday in order to curb the explosion of cases of Covid-19 linked to the Omicron variant.

The Superior Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC), whose approval had been requested by the Catalan regional executive, deemed this extension justified in view of the epidemiological “situation” in this region which currently presents “rather unfavorable characteristics. “.

The restrictive measures, initially planned to last until January 7, will thus be maintained until January 21, according to the court which considered that the right to “physical integrity” and “health” should in the context current take precedence over other fundamental freedoms.

These measures, in force since December 23, include the establishment of a curfew from 1 to 6 a.m. in all cities of more than 10,000 inhabitants where the incidence exceeds 250 cases per 100,000 inhabitants over seven days.

They also limit the occupancy rate to 50% for restaurants and 70% for sporting and cultural venues, and provide for the closure of nightclubs and the limitation of private meetings to a maximum of 10 people.

Spain, one of the world champions in vaccination, is facing – like many other countries – a new wave of cases thanks to the spread of the Omicron variant, which is much more contagious than previous strains.

The country recorded 117,775 new cases on Tuesday in 24 hours. The incidence was 2,433 cases per 100,000 inhabitants over 14 days, one of the highest levels in Europe.