Masked and nervous Catalans vote in election that will gauge separatist strength

A worker uses disinfectant to clean ballot boxes containing personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies at Sant Antoni Market, which will be a polling station for the February 14th regional election, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Barcelona, Spain February 13, 2021. REUTERS/Nacho Doce

BARCELONA (Reuters) - Catalan voters headed to the polls on Sunday for an election that will test the strength of the Spanish region's pro-independence movement, but in an era dominated by the coronavirus crisis rather than separatist sentiment.

A steady trickle of mask-wearing voters turned up at polling stations that were replete with pandemic precautions: Temperatures taken on arrival, election workers in protective suits or visors, separate entrances and exits, hand gel on tap and floor markings to ensure social distancing.