With masks and gel, Spaniards vote amid new coronavirus outbreaks

Voters in northern Spain on Sunday protected themselves with face masks and hand sanitizer before voting as Galicia and the Basque Country held regional elections despite new localized outbreaks of COVID-19. The extra health measures meant there were long lines outside polling stations for the votes, which were postponed from April due to the pandemic and are the first since one of Europe's strictest lockdown was relaxed.

Bilbao, the Basque region's largest city, increased the number of polling stations by 25% to ensure social distancing. Turnout at midday was 4.2% higher in Galicia than at the same point during the last election in 2016, while in the Basque Country it fell by 1.3%, election authorities said. More than 460 people in both regions who recently tested positive for the new coronavirus were barred from voting for the new regional governments.