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HEALTH-VIRUS-SPAIN
Spain imposes near total lockdown to fight virus
MADRID, March 15, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Spain on Saturday followed Italy and
imposed a near total nationwide lockdown to fight the spread of coronavirus
by banning people from leaving home except to go to work, get medical care or
buy food.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced the restrictions on movement
following a huge spike in the number of infections in this nation of some 46
million people.
They are among the measures introduced as part of a 15-day state of
emergency officially declared by his government on Saturday.
Spain confirmed more than 1,500 new cases of coronavirus since Friday
evening, raising its total to 5,753 cases, the second-highest number in
Europe after Italy.
The disease has so far claimed 183 lives in Spain.
“The prohibition to circulate in the streets… must be followed starting
today,” he said in a televised address after a cabinet meeting that lasted
more than seven hours.
Spaniards may leave home to go to work, “buy bread”, go to the pharmacy and
get medical care but “not to go have dinner at a friend’s house”, he added.
Police would ensure the restrictions on people’s movements are obeyed, said
the prime minister, whose office later announced that his wife Begona Gomez
had tested positive for the virus.
“The measures which we have adopted are drastic and will unfortunately have
consequences… but our hand will not shake to prevail against the virus,”
Sanchez added.
“We will win this battle… but it is important that the price we pay for
this victory be as little as possible.”
All stores except for pharmacies and supermarkets will close nationwide,
the premier said.
Bars, restaurants and all shops except for supermarkets had already shut on
Saturday for two weeks in the Madrid region, which accounts for over half of
all infections.
Most regional governments in Spain had already followed the example of
Madrid and closed their schools.
– Madrid’s streets deserted –
Spain’s response to the coronavirus has so far had wide differences between
regions due to the country’s complex system of sharing power between the
central government and regional governments, which control education and
health issues.
But by declaring a state of emergency, Sanchez’s government has the power
to take over healthcare and use security forces to enforce orders.
It is only the second time that the government has evoked it since the
country returned to democracy following the death of dictator Francisco
Franco in 1975.
The other time was during a 2010 air traffic controllers’ strike.
Sanchez warned Friday that the number of infections could reach 10,000 in
the coming days in Spain.
In response to an appeal made on social media, many residents of the
Spanish went to their balconies and windows at 10:00 pm to applaud and cheer
the healthcare workers dealing with the crisis.
An eerie calm descended on the Spanish capital on Saturday as people obeyed
the strict measures imposed by the regional government.
“It is distressing when we are so used to seeing a crowd here,” Paco
Higueras, a restaurant employee, said as he cast his gaze at the nearly
deserted Puerta del Sol square in central Madrid.
The spot, one of the city’s main tourist landmarks, is usually bustling on
a Saturday. But it was already deserted as people obeyed restrictions already
in place in the Madrid region.
All major Madrid museums, including the Prado, which displays masterpieces
by Francisco Goya and Diego Velazquez; and the Reina Sofia, home to Pablo
Picasso’s anti-war masterpiece “Guernica”, have already closed.
Earlier Saturday, the mayor of Seville announced that the southern city’s
famous Holy Week processions featuring hooded penitents would be cancelled
because of the outbreak of the virus.
BSS/AFP/MSY/0903 hrs