Spain has declared a state of emergency in response to the
coronavirus epidemic after health authorities announced 1,063 new cases
and 53 new deaths in one day.
The country’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez made the major
announcement during a press conference on Friday and pleaded with
citizens stating that ”the fight against the disease “depends on each
of us”.
Mr. Sanchez said: “The government of Spain will protect all its
citizens and will guarantee the right life conditions to slow the
pandemic with as little inconvenience as possible.”
According to Mr. Sanchez, the state of emergency will formally be
declared by a cabinet meeting on Saturday and it’s expected to last 15
days in other to empower the government to take wide-ranging measures
including confining people, ordering mass evacuations, and imposing
rationing.
Schools have already shut down across the country, with many cinemas,
theatres or playgrounds also closing and trials suspended in several
regions as normal life came to a halt in the euro zone’s fourth-largest
economy.
The new figures show Spain now has 4,209 confirmed cases and 120
deaths- the second-highest number of cases in Europe, after Italy.
