The British government said on December 21 local time that the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar, located in the southern Iberian Peninsula, bordering Spain, has found new variants of COVID-19 infection.
In response, Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Fabian Picardo told Parliament on the same day that it was not clear whether there were cases and that flights from the British mainland could still enter Gibraltar, but passengers were required to provide negative certificates for COVID-19.
On the same day, the Spanish government announced that it would strengthen border control over Gibraltar from the 22nd. It is understood that there are currently an average of about 14,500 people moving across borders between the two countries every day, two-thirds of whom are Spanish citizens.
According to local media reports, Gibraltar, with a total population of nearly 35,000, has added 33 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, with a total of 1,282 confirmed cases.
Due to the recent upward trend in the number of infections, the local government announced on the 21st that it would suspend the business of restaurants and require the use of masks in public places.
