Spanish authorities have introduced a state of emergency for at least 15 days in order to combat the spread of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.
This was announced on Saturday, March 14, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, speaking on television, reports DW. Residents of the 47 millionth country are required to leave their homes only in exceptional cases. Exceptional cases, according to the head of government, include the purchase of groceries, a visit to a pharmacy or hospital, and also referral to work.
All airlines, as well as public, railway and shipping companies, are ordered to switch to a reduced load mode. The closure of state borders has not yet been planned. According to Sanchez, the crisis caused by the spread of coronavirus infection requires “emergency solutions.”
All police forces, including regional ones, are directly subordinate to the Spanish Ministry of the Interior, and the country’s army is put on alert when necessary.
Three days earlier, on March 11, all kindergartens, schools and universities for two weeks were closed in Madrid and other regions of Spain.
Spain is in second place in Europe after Italy in the number of people infected with coronavirus (6391 people as of the morning of March 15) and who died from the pulmonary disease COVID-19 caused by it (196 people).