Belgian prince contracts Covid-19 after party
A Belgian prince has contracted coronavirus after attending a celebration during lockdown in Spain, the country's royal palace says.
Prince Joachim, 28, travelled from Belgium to Spain for an internship on 26 May, the palace said.
Two days later, he visited a party in the southern city of Córdoba, before testing positive for Covid-19.
Spanish reports advise the prince, a nephew of Belgium's King Philippe, was among 27 people at the party.
Under Córdoba's lockdown rules, a celebration of this size will be a breach of regulations, as gatherings of only 15 people are currently permitted.
Spanish police have launched a study in to the party. Those found to have flouted lockdown rules could possibly be fined up to €10,000 (£9,000; $11,100).
Everyone who attended the party is reported to be in quarantine. Prince Joachim, the youngest son of Princess Astrid and 10th in line to the Belgian throne, is thought to have mild coronavirus symptoms.
Rafaela Valenzuela, a representative of the Spanish government in Córdoba, condemned the party, calling those that attended "irresponsible".
"Personally i think surprised and angry. An incident of the type sticks out at an instant of national mourning for so many dead," she said.
The party was initially covered by Spanish newspaper El Confidencial, which cited a document from the Andalucian authorities but didn't name the prince.
Belgian media have since confirmed with the palace that Prince Joachim was in Spain, where he remains.
The prince may have a long-standing relationship with a Spanish woman, reported to be Victoria Ortiz.
Spain is in the process of emerging from one of the strictest lockdowns in Europe. It outlined a four-stage anticipate 4 May to start out easing the lockdown, which saw children under 14 confined to their homes for six weeks.
The country said it had been moving to a second phase from 1 June for 70% of Spaniards, leaving only major cities under tighter restrictions.
Spain has among the best number of coronavirus cases and deaths on earth. As of Saturday, the country had 239,228 infections and 27,125 deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.
