Catalonia orders local lockdown as Spain battles new virus surges

Authorities also recommended that people stay at home in a suburb of Barcelona, capital of the northeastern region of 7.5 million people where there has been an acrimonious push for independence in recent years. Having suffered more than 28,400 deaths, tourism-dependent Spain brought the epidemic largely under control through a tough national lockdown that was lifted on June 21. However, since then, more than 170 local outbreaks have been detected, with 120 still active - including a worrying one around the Catalan city of Lleida. The order for residents of Lleida, and seven nearby towns, to stay at home still needs to be approved by a judge amid tensions over how to handle local outbreaks.