Barcelona Covid-19 cases triple in one week to 458

The number of Covid-19 cases in the city of Barcelona has almost tripled in the last week, rising from 164 to 458.

Authorities say the rise has been mainly fueled by younger people and middle-aged people through family gatherings and meeting up with friends.

The two areas of the Catalan capital that have seen the largest increase are Eixample and Sants-Montjuïc.

In total there have been 24 "small, controlled outbreaks" of at least four people.

The mayor, Ada Colau, has described the situation as "worrying", but "not alarming", and not comparable to the outbreak in the Segrià region around Lleida in the west of Catalonia.

Barcelona City Council has decided that one of the hotels used to house Covid-19 patients during the height of the pandemic will again be converted for use as a so-called 'health hotel'.

The local authority has also called on the government to increase the number of coronavirus contact tracers working throughout Catalonia, which currently stands at 120.

Infections have also tripled in Catalonia's second most populous city, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, which is part of the Barcelona metropolitan area.

2,045 more cases across Spain

The Spanish health ministry's figures released on Monday reports 255,953 confirmed Covid-19 cases, an increase of 2,045 compared to the previous total, published on Friday. Of those, 164 were related to cases in the last 24 hours, with 42 in Catalonia, more than any other area.

In the past week across Spain there have been 146 coronavirus hospitalizations, eight ICU admissions and seven deaths.

The Catalan health department's report on Monday recorded 301 new Covid-19 cases in the past day.