Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned the country was facing an extreme situation and called it the most serious health crisis in the last century.

In tourist hot spots such as Barcelona and the surrounding areas, restaurants and other establishments have to close by 9 p.m. an hour before the curfew starts at 10 p.m. Police were seen patrolling the city before the new rules took effect on Sunday.

Locals appear to be complying with them as usually busy streets emptied.

Spain imposed one of the toughest lockdowns earlier this year and then relax curbs over the summer in Italy.

Similar measures have come into force, with dining areas and bars ordered to close even earlier from 6 p.m. Cinemas and gyms have also been ordered to shut down as part of local curfews in several regions.

There were street clashes with small groups of protesters over the weekend on angry criticism from restaurant owners and business groups about the impact off the measures.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conti said the measures were aimed at protecting both public health on the economy He added that if the situation could be brought under control in the next few weeks, he had hopes for Italians toe have a serene Christmas.