Spain, Portugal face new limits despite vaccine success

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Despite vaccination rates that make other governments envious, Spain and Portugal are facing the hard truth that, with the new omicron variant running rampant, these winter holidays won't be a time of unrestrained joy.

Portugal on Tuesday announced a slew of new restrictions over Christmas and the New Year, making working from home mandatory and shutting discotheques and bars beginning Saturday night. Also, a negative test result must be shown to enter Portuguese cinemas, theaters, sports events, weddings and baptisms until at least Jan. 9.

Portugal will impose exceptional measures on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, as well as New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, including having a negative test result to enter restaurants and public celebrations. And on New Year’s Eve, no more than 10 people can gather in the street, and drinking alcohol outdoors will be prohibited.

That is happening despite almost 87% of Portugal's population being fully vaccinated, due to the omicron variant, which is racing across Europe.

Spain, too, had hoped for a relaxed festive Christmas, since 80% of its population of 47 million were vaccinated — including 90% of those over 12 — and face masks are widely used.

But the incredibly fast spread of the omicron variant is starting to put pressure on Spanish hospitals, even though experts agree that being vaccinated still greatly reduces the risk of falling seriously ill.

Catalonia, home to the northeastern city of Barcelona, is prepared to become the first Spanish region to reinstate serious limitations and put a damper on the holiday cheer. One in four of everyone hospitalized in Spain with COVID-19 is in Catalonia.

“We had all hoped to spend these Christmas holidays with our family and loved ones, but unfortunately we are...