ARCHIVED - Experts anxious after thousands hit the streets to celebrate the end of State of Alarm in Spain at the weekend

Revellers have taken to the streets across Spain to mark the end of State of Alarm, prompting a stark warning from experts.

Less than 48 hours after the end of State of Alarm in Spain, concerning images in the press and on social media of thousands of young people partying in cities like Valencia, Sevilla and Madrid to celebrate a long-awaited freedom - many not distancing or wearing masks - has raised concerns.

Commenting on images of street parties, known as botellones in Spain, Public Health Physician Daniel López Acuña warned it "was not prudent to lift the State of Alarm" and fears the country is entering into a "chaotic" situation.

"In ten or fifteen days we are going to see a spike in cases that we will regret," he said in a televised interview.

The concern is that there are still communities with more than 250 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, including Madrid (317) and the Basque Country (447), which means they are still classified as high or very high risk. (see latest covid date published on Monday May 10)

The Valencia Community (the three provinces of Alicante, Castellón and Valencia) is at the other end of the scale with around 40 cumulative cases per 100,000 of population.

Coupled with new the "relaxed" behaviour, as images and reports suggest, is the fact that Spain's vaccination campaign is not considered to be sufficient, and according to López Acuña, "the combination is worrying".

He believes there is a mistaken false sense of security that the pandemic is over, when the risk of contagion "is still very present".

Spain's second national State of Alarm came into force on 25 October 2020 and ended on 9 May, and restrictions such as nighttime curfews, restrictions on movement and limitations on social gatherings will now depend on the regional authorities and the health ministry, rather than Pedro Sanchez's central government.

IMAGE: Twitter/@germanlogro