Ciudadanos criticize Catalan handling of health crisis and ask Spain to 'take action'

The unionist Ciudadanos party has sent a letter to the Spanish president Pedro Sánchez asking him to "take action" in the face of the Catalan government's management of the Covid-19 pandemic, which they described as "out of control."

The party's MPs in the Catalan parliament say that while the laws around the new normality promote "coordinated actions", the government led by Quim Torra has instead "confronted," rather than collaborated with, opposition groups.

The letter, sent on Tuesday, accuses the Catalan executive of "improvisation," "lack of transparency," "constant rectifications," and "inefficient decisions."

Cuidadanos' deputy spokesman in the Catalan parliament, Nacho Martín Blanco, said that the government has acted "too late" and "badly" in reacting to the latest coronavirus outbreaks.

Mayor calls for tracing improvements

Meanwhile the mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, has asked the Catalan Government to expand their detection and contact tracing systems instead of "generating alarm."

The mayor demanded that technical issues be solved, that "maximum" resources be given to primary care centers, and that the track and trace system be fully operational.

"This hasn’t been working for weeks," she said, calling for "clarity" on new measures and their communication.

Colau reiterated that as a city council they have offered the "maximum collaboration" and even staff to help with tracing if necessary, but pointed out that the government is responsible for the health system and they have to make it work.

When asked about the recommendations from European countries not to travel to Catalonia or Spain, Colau replied: "If you guarantee (health) for those here, it will also be safe for those who visit us."