Index – National – A night curfew is introduced in Spain

To curb the spread of the coronavirus epidemic, the Spanish government decided once again on Sunday to order an emergency, providing a legal framework to introduce a night curfew.

We live in an extraordinary situation. (…) We have reordered an emergency because it is the most effective tool to stop infections and stop the virus.

– said the Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, at a press conference in Madrid after the extraordinary government meeting.

Of the 17 provinces of the country and the two North African enclaves, 11 have requested this measure from the government in recent days.

Due to the epidemic, a national emergency was last introduced in mid-March, extended by the Spanish parliament a total of six times and maintained until June 21.

While the spring measure was accompanied by a ban on leaving the home, it is now limited to overnight trips only, usually from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. the next morning. The start and end of the restriction can be changed by the provinces at their own discretion in about an hour.

The only exception is the Canary Islands, where there are no restrictions due to favorable epidemiological data. Several European countries, such as Great Britain, Germany and Sweden, have just lifted the quarantine obligation for those who come from the Spanish islands.

Referring to epidemiology experts, Pedro Sánchez said that the second wave of the epidemic is very different from the first, with fewer deaths, lower average age of those infected and lower health pressures, so now other types of measures are needed .

There are too many illegal parties in the streets

According to the Spanish authorities, it is illegal parties in the street and at home that are causing the most problems. For example, according to data from the Madrid City Police, they had to act in more than 300 concentrations last weekend.

The prime minister said that more than six people cannot meet anywhere unless they are family members living together. The rule, which is now becoming national, has previously been introduced by several provinces.

The provinces themselves can decide other epidemiological prohibitions, such as territorial restrictions on free movement.

The government will approve and present to parliament next week its proposal to maintain the state of emergency now ordered until May 9 of next year. Epidemiologists say it takes a long time to overcome not only the second wave, but the most damaging period of the epidemic, Pedro Sánchez said.

He added that the Minister of Health will report every two weeks to the competent committee of Parliament on the epidemiological situation.

More than a million people have registered in Spain since the coronavirus appeared, but the government says the actual number of cases could be three times higher. Currently, 361 out of 100,000 people in the 47 million countries are infected. The Spanish government wants this number to drop below 25.

The Italian Healthcare is also urging a spring-like nationwide shutdown after the daily number of cases. on Friday It exceeded 19,000 and a night curfew has already been imposed in six regions.