Is Spain learning to live with the virus? “The Netherlands is the odd one out with its strict lockdown”

At the beginning of January, the public watches in Madrid during the Epiphany Parade, a large children’s party, comparable to Sinterklaas. Audience is close together.Image AP

Hi Dion, two weeks ago told you that you might be celebrating New Year’s Eve in Madrid’s main square. Has that happened yet?

‘I walked past it earlier in the evening, but it was still very busy. At nine o’clock the whole square was already packed, while the real party would not start until midnight. You notice that people here are not terribly afraid of getting infected.

‘You saw the same at the Driekoningenparade, which is a large children’s party here, comparable to Sinterklaas. This year it had to be celebrated differently and smaller than usual, but thousands of people were still allowed to come. Parents lined the route with their children to catch a glimpse of the procession.’

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said on Friday: “We have to learn to live with the coronavirus as we do with many other viruses.” What does that mean in concrete terms?

Spain wants to start working with a different monitoring system for the corona virus soon. The development of that system started in the summer of 2020 and is now in its final phase. So they have been working on it for a while, but a similar system already existed before the flu.

‘During the flu season, a number of hospitals and GP posts are always designated in Spain to report their flu cases. Based on this, a national picture is made. They want to do the same with corona soon. Then they no longer have to write down and pass on every case.

‘If the hospitals no longer flood, why would you still pass on every infection? Or should everyone be tested at the doctor’s office? Or do source and contact research? They believe that if the virus becomes less serious, all that logistics and administration will no longer be necessary.’

Spectators of the Epiphany Parade in Spain had to wear a mask.  Wearing is compulsory on the street throughout the country.  Image AFP

Spectators of the Epiphany Parade in Spain had to wear a mask. Wearing is compulsory on the street throughout the country.Image AFP

The infections and hospital admissions have been increasing rapidly in Spain in recent days, is it not important to keep a good eye on the spread of the virus?

‘Certainly, so the new system will not be introduced for the time being. That will only happen when corona has really become an endemic disease. We are not there yet in Spain.

‘The infections and hospital admissions are indeed increasing, but there are relatively fewer people with serious complaints than in previous waves. And in the hospitals it is tighter in the regular infirmary than in the IC.’

Is the government taking steps to prevent this?

‘In Spain, that is mainly a matter for the regions. In Catalonia, for example, the situation is now quite serious, where covid patients occupy 40 percent of hospital beds. So the nightclubs are closed and a night clock is in effect in areas with the most infections.

‘But in Madrid, the regional government is letting things run a bit more, even though there are many infections. You often hear from people who went to a party at the turn of the year that they have contracted corona, and the sale of self-tests is going through the roof. But stricter measures are not forthcoming for the time being. You now have to wear a mouth cap outside, but that’s about it. The catering industry is open.

‘The many infections do cause personnel problems in some places, although it helps that the isolation rules are quite flexible. If you’ve been in contact with someone who’s tested positive, you don’t even need to be in isolation in most regions. You are then only urged to be a little more careful, to have yourself tested after a few days and not to meet your 90-year-old grandmother at home.

‘You can compare the situation in Madrid, for example, with that in England. There Prime Minister Boris Johnson loudly announced that they have entered a new phase with hardly any measures. It is not stated so explicitly here, but the policy is moving in that direction.’

When can we expect the introduction of this new system?

‘That will take some time. The hope is that a peak in infections will be reached in about a week, after which the decline will start. Then so many people would have become infected that, in combination with the high vaccination rate, we will enter a stable phase.

‘After that, when there is certainty that close monitoring is no longer necessary, the new system can be introduced.’

Why can Spain manage with far fewer measures than the Netherlands?

‘The situation is not entirely comparable because the Netherlands was already struggling with an outbreak of the delta variant. Spain has had little trouble with this, probably thanks to the good weather. But the omikron variant is now dominant, and it is simply less harmful.

“Spain is not the only country trying to get through it with as few measures as possible. France and England do the same. So Spain is not the odd one out, that is the Netherlands with its strict lockdown.’

Finally, did you manage to eat twelve grapes in twelve seconds on New Year’s Eve, in accordance with Spanish tradition?

‘Luckily it is. I thought you had to be really quick, but it wasn’t too bad. I was even a little too fast. According to Spanish superstition, my 2022 will now be extremely prosperous. At the top of my wish list is of course an end to corona. I hope that comes true.’

Correction: an earlier version stated that the catering industry in Catalonia is closed. This is only for the nightclubs and has been adjusted above.

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