Spain's parliamentary speaker tests positive as Covid-19 rate soars

Spain's parliamentary speaker Meritxell Batet tested positive for the coronavirus on Monday as the infection rate in the country continued to swell.

The 48-year-old politician has gone into quarantine at home in Madrid, the state television station RTVE reported, citing sources in the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the Spanish Parliament.

Batet was reportedly doing will not be presiding over the resumption of parliamentary sessions on Tuesday following the Christmas break, even from home, they said.

Despite a high vaccination rate of around 80 per cent, Spain's seven-day incidence per 100,000 inhabitants is currently 563, significantly higher than in Germany (222.7) for example.

The seven-day incidence in Spain reached a low of 18 in mid-October.

Sanchez calls for caution

During a visit to the island of La Palma on Monday, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that caution must continue to be exercised, but that the situation in hospitals remained under control.

"In the coming weeks we will see a very high number of infections, but it will not be the case with hospitalizations," Sanchez explained, citing science and the country's high vaccination rate.