The Spanish government has declared a second nation-wide state of emergency and ordered a nationwide curfew over a massive coronavirus spike.
This comes after Spain became the first European country to record more than a million cases of the virus. Last Friday, 19,851 cases were reported along with 231 deaths. Some 20,986 positive tests were also confirmed on Thursday.
Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez on Sunday afternoon said his cabinet had approved a state of emergency that is set to remain in force until 9 May 2021.
“The reality is that Europe and Spain are immersed in a second wave of the pandemic, we are living in an extreme situation…it is the most serious in the last half-century. We have to protect our economic and work activity and preserve, as far as we can, the rhythms of our lives. Sacrifices will be indispensable. No one, not the government of Spain nor its regional governments, wants to impose a single restriction that isn’t necessary to flatten the curve and protect public health,”
As of Sunday, Spain had recorded 1,046,132 coronavirus cases and 34,752 related deaths.