• The mayor, Gaspar Miras, warns that the municipality is in a “very delicate” situation and people have to take responsibility of their own actions

By Andrew Atkinson

Mazarrón Mayor Gaspar Miras Lorente has said the 19 cases of coronavirus are ‘catastrophic’ and that the people have to take responsibility of their own actions. “My town is one of the municipalities that is walking on a tightrope.”

The Mayor is trying to find out where the positive coronavirus cases have arisen from, with nearby Totana reporting 108 positive cases of coronavirus.

And at present the Mayor is awaiting to hear news of recommendations from the Regional Health Ministry.

Mayor Gaspar Miras Lorente, newly elected in 2019, has said anyone testing positive for COVID-19 will be quarantined in a bid to stop the virus spreading.

There is a chance that Mazarrón has generalised transmission, not one specific outbreak, as cases are widely dispersed and uncontrolled: “My message to residents is to take particular care at this time,” said the mayor.

Thousands of visitors have hit Mazarron as the summer vacations peak, with visitors on the beaches, on the paseo, shopping and dining.

Faced with this situation, Miras sent a message of calm to the population, but demanded that they comply with “the strictly required measures of distancing, wearing masks and trying to socialise with fewer people in our day-to-day life.”

“The council cannot put police on every street corner – we have to take responsibility of our own actions,” said the mayor.

Mazarron police have fined dozens of people who refused to wear masks.