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| - Spain began on Friday to beef up screening of international travellers arriving at its airports, taking their temperature and imposing a 14-day quarantine to prevent a resurgence of the coronavirus in the country. The government also began to restrict arrivals of foreigners who do not usually reside in Spain, with the exception of border workers, health personnel, diplomats and transporters. The new measures will remain in force until June 15, the interior ministry said Friday. Spain closed its land borders with France and Portugal on March 17 but until now had not imposed any restrictions on arrivals from the passport-free Schengen zone, which counts 26 member states. One of the world's worst-hit countries in which the virus has killed nearly 27,000 people, Spain has begun a cautious process of slowly lifting its stringent mid-March lockdown. The government is due to decide on Friday whether to ease lockdown measures in new regions as it already has for half of Spain's 47 million people. Since Monday, those Spaniards can meet up to 10 people and return to cafe terraces. The country's two largest cities, Madrid and Barcelona, have asked the government for permission to loosen restrictions which are among the strictest in the world. Of the 138 daily new deaths recorded in 24 hours, nearly two-thirds were in the Madrid region and in Catalonia, which includes Barcelona. "The risk of resurgence exists," warned Fernando Simon, the health ministry's emergencies coordinator, adding that in some places the threat remained "very high". The government released a video on Friday of travellers having their temperatures taken and filling out forms at the Madrid-Barajas international airport. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said that passengers were asked for contact information and details of where they would be quarantined. Health officials have said they would track the travellers to ensure the quarantine was being followed, and that those affected would only be allowed out to buy essentials or for urgent medical care -- always wearing a mask. dbh/pmr/erc/dl
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