Coronavirus diagnoses rise to 15 in Catalonia

The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Catalonia went up to 15, according to figures from Spain's health ministry that were announced early afternoon on Monday.

This is one more than the latest update by Catalan authorities Monday morning, who stated the figure was 14 after diagnosing two new cases.

One of the patients declared by Catalonia is a 40-year-old woman and the other is a 37-year-old man, both of whom live in Barcelona and who had contact with a German person who had tested positive.

As with the other 12 cases in the country, neither person is in a serious condition. The Catalan health department has been able to identify the source of the contagion for all the cases.

On Sunday, six more cases were declared, with Italy as the source of infection for most of them.

In the afternoon, three cases were declared: one a 28-year-old man residing in Barcelona who had been in Milan from February 20 to 23, while the others were two women, a 16-year-old and a 20-year-old, who were in the north of Italy from February 14 to 16.

That followed the three cases that had been announced earlier in the day: one a 62-year-old woman from L'Hospitalet de Llobregat who had contact with one of the other cases confirmed before Sunday. The other two were a 25-year-old man residing in Barcelona and a 26-year-old from Milan. Both had been in the capital of Lombardy, in Italy, from February 20 to 26.

Treated at home

Early on Saturday afternoon, the country's health authorities announced that the infected people with mild symptoms will be taken care of at home from now on.

They also said that people who suspect they may have been infected should call the 061 number instead of going to a medical center. The emergency services will test them at home and not in hospital.