Barcelona, July 20 (RHC)-- People sunbathed and played in the sea along Barcelona's beaches, ignoring pleas from Catalan authorities for area residents to stay at home as coronavirus cases continued to rise in one of Spain's worst-hit regions.

As police patrolled in masks to ensure social distancing, Barceloneta beach, a favorite with tourists, reached capacity and had to be closed to new bathers on Sunday afternoon.  People were queueing to access the beach.

Earlier in the day, authorities urged the more than 96,000 residents of three Catalan towns to stay home as part of a toughened response to the crisis.

Earlier, some four million people, including in Barcelona, were advised to leave their home only for essential trips.