You can find more information on the Government of Catalonia’s Health Channel:

• Measures to contain outbreaks

You can find more information on the Barcelona City Council website:

• #BCNcuida’t

You can follow the epidemiological evolution of COVID-19 in the city on the ASPB website #COVID19aldiaBCN

• Wash your hands often (washing with soap and water or alcohol-based solutions).
• Keep a safety distance of 2 meters between people and avoid crowding.
• Put on your mask. For the general population the use of masks is mandatory for people aged 6 and over, on public roads and in outdoor spaces, in any enclosed space for public use or open to the public and on public transport, regardless of the maintenance of the safety distanceand among people. For children from 3 to 5 years it is recommended.
• Reduce daily social contacts, keep the usual coexistence groups as stable as possible and avoid crowding.
• When coughing or sneezing, cover your nose and mouth with the inside of your elbow or with a disposable tissue that must be discarded immediately, and then wash your hands.
• Avoid sharing food or utensils (such as cutlery, glasses, napkins and handkerchiefs) or other items if they have not been properly cleaned.
• Clean, disinfect and ventilate the home
• You should not touch your mouth, nose or eyes after handling any objects, particularly in public places, without first washing your hands.
• We must protect in particular the people in the highest risk groups: the elderly and people with chronic diseases.
• The early detection and monitoring of positive cases and their contacts is key to maintaining control of the epidemic. In this sense, people with symptoms compatible with COVID-19 should contact the public health system and should follow both home and their close contact indications for home isolation.

You can find more information on the Government of Catalonia’s Health Channel:

• Prevention

The early detection and monitoring of positive cases and their contacts is key to maintaining control of the epidemic.

People with COVID-19 compatible symptoms are considered possible cases. They should stay home and isolate themselves and should contact their primary care team, except on weekends when they have to call 061. The healthcare professionals will decide what action to take and give you instructions.

• The doctor assesses the symptoms and, if necessary, performs the PCR test.
• They must identify and report on any persons with whom you may have had a close contact for the 48 hours prior to the symptoms.
• They must do preventive isolation until the results of the PCR test following the instructions of health professionals.
• The results of the test can be consulted through My Health.

If the PCR is positive in COVID-19: 

• They’ll get a SMS message and an e-mail or an information call.
• They should do home isolation until your healthcare provider tells you to, and you will be told how to do it.
• They have to do a thorough follow up of your symptoms twice a day through the app STOP COVID19 CAT, which is directly connected to primarycare.
• In case it is necessary to process the leave of absence, you can do so through the La Meva Salut App, featuring the eConsulta (eEnquiry)service that will allow you to directly contact your healthcare professional. 

You can find more information on the Government of Catalonia’s Health Channel:

• Case detection and contact tracking

Close contact is considered to be any person who has been caring for a likely or confirmed case of COVID-19 who presented symptoms, or any person who has been in the same place, 15 minuts or more, without protections, at a distance of less than 2 meters of someone with likely or confirmed COVID-19, within 48 hours before of the onset of symptoms until the time of diagnosis.

• People who have been in close contact with a positive person diagnosed with COVID-19 will be informed by a call or message and will be instructed on the steps to take.
• They should be quarantined for 10 days.
• They have to do a thorough follow up of symptoms twice a day through the app STOP COVID19 CAT.
• If  they have symptoms during this period, they must contact their primary care team, except on weekends when you have to call 061.
• If 10 days have elapsed since their last contact with the diagnosed case and they have had no symptoms, they can return to their usual routine. However, special caution between the 10th and 14th day is recommended, always with surgical mask, minimizing close contact and, if symptoms appear, immediate self-confinement.

You can find more information on the Government of Catalonia’s Health Channel:

• Case detection and contact tracking
• Close contacts 

Both people with mild symptoms compatible with COVID-19, and the close contacts of these people with whom they live, should isolate themselves from other people and take the measures indicated by healthcare professionals. The main aim of self-isolation measures is to keep the virus isolated and prevent it from spreading.

It is the healthcare professionals who will decide, by assessing the clinical criteria and the circumstances of the healthcare and social environment, whether a person is suitable for self-isolation at home. Healthcare professionals will monitor and remain in contact with the infected person.

The conditions of the house must allow the isolation of the person in a well-ventilated room and, if possible, the availability of a proper bath. Both personal hygiene and the cleaning of the house are very important. Cleaners must protect themselves with a mask and gloves, and wash their hands when finished.

The isolated person has to be available for the necessary medical evaluations, and both the person and his/her companions have to be able to apply correctly and consistently the basic measures of hygiene, prevention and control of the infection. Health services will provide all the necessary indications.

You can find more information on the Government of Catalonia’s Health Channel:

• Home isolation

Coronaviruses are a type of virus that usually infect animals, but some of them can also affect humans. The new coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2 was first detected in December 2019 in the city of Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, and has gradually spread to other countries. The disease caused by this virus is known as COVID-19, a term coined from the words “Coronavirus Disease 19”, and usually only causes mild respiratory symptoms.

The disease is spread mainly by direct contact with an infected person’s respiratory droplets, for example through coughing or sneezing. These droplets can infect others through the nose, eyes or mouth. This is why it is important to wash your hands and to cover your mouth with disposable tissues or the inside of your elbow when coughing. According to the most recent data, the symptoms of COVID-19 may take 1 to 14 days to appear, although they usually take 5 to 6 days.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, coughing and feeling of breathlessness. In some cases, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat, or digestive symptoms such as diarrhea and abdominal pain may also occur. In more severe cases, the infection can cause pneumonia, kidney failure, and even death.

Some people become infected but do not develop any symptoms and are not sick. Most people (about 80%) recover from the condition without any special treatment. About 1 in 6 people who get COVID-19 develop severe disease. About 2% of people who have contracted the condition have died.

The highest risk groups are people over 65 and people with chronic illnesses, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, cardíac or pulmonary disorders and people with congenital or acquired immunity problems. However, it should be noted that it affects people from all age groups.

You can find more information on the Government of Catalonia’s Health Channel:

• What is coronavirus SARS-CoV-2?

You can find more information on the Government of Catalonia’s Health Channel:

• Information fot professionals

You can find more information at the Spanish Ministry of Health:

• Documentos técnicos para profesionales [in Spanish]

There is a lot of misinformation on the internet and social media that promotes fear.

You will find quality, up-to-date information on the following links:

• Canal Salut de la Generalitat de Catalunya
• Ministerio de Sanidad, Consumo y Bienestar Social
• World Health Organization
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
• Coronavirus – European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
• Jons Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center

Thanks to the collaboration of citizens, public institutions have offered different ways of collaboration so that all the people, companies and entities that have offered their collaboration can do so efficiently.

You can find information about collaborations on the following link:

• Department of Health of Catalonia: Colaborate with the health system