Health officials in the Spanish resort of Benidorm have voiced fears about rising Covid-19 cases – which began to increase as more British holidaymakers arrived.
The town’s 14-day cumulative incidence rate per 100,000 inhabitants now stands at 286 – and 53% of these cases have been seen among non-Spanish nationals, reported the Evening Standard.
It said Ana Barcelo, health minister for the regional Valencian government, voiced her fears after the resort town was officially classified in Spain’s ‘extreme risk’ Covid category.
She said: “We began to detect the rise in the number of cases after October 5 when more tourists began to arrive from the UK.”
The situation is being monitored and Covid-19 restrictions could be imposed if rates continue to rise.
However, the regional hotel association Hosbec told the Standard the figures are “skewed” because they do not take account of the floating population of tourists and holiday home owners who triple the town’s officially-registered population of full-time residents.
Hosbec president Toni Mayor said earlier this month: “There’s a British atmosphere in Benidorm which reminds me of the atmosphere of old before the pandemic struck.
“Around 20% of the holidaymakers in town at the moment are now British. We think the number of Brits holidaying here will rise rapidly and there could be a massive surge.”