Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez (48) has prepared the population for “very hard days” in view of the spread of the corona virus. “We have to prepare ourselves psychologically and emotionally,” said the head of government on Saturday in a television speech.
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“The worst is yet to come,” said Sánchez. The country is facing the greatest challenge since the Spanish Civil War. This took place between 1936 and 1939. The Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte (55) compared the situation in a speech on Saturday evening with war: “It is the worst crisis for the country since World War II,” said Conte.
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The Italian prime minister ordered the cessation of all productive activity in the third largest economy in the euro area, “which is not essential and essential to guarantee us essential goods and services”. The country had reported nearly 800 deaths in just one day on Saturday, more than ever since the virus broke out in the country.
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Spain distributes 1.3 million protective masks
“We have to gain time to better prepare our health care system,” said Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez, speaking of a “race against time” in the procurement of the necessary equipment.
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“In the coming hours”, 1.3 million respirators would be distributed. 640,000 rapid test sets should arrive in the next few days. Negotiations for another six million sets were ongoing with Sánchez.
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The government mobilized another 52,000 health care workers, including 14,000 retired doctors and nurses. A field hospital for more than 5000 beds is currently being built in Madrid. Hotels are turned into hospitals.
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Rapid increase in cases of infection
The number of deaths related to the coronavirus pandemic had increased dramatically in one day in Spain. It was 1326 on Saturday, 32 percent above the previous day, as the Ministry of Health announced in Madrid. The number of detected cases of infection rose to almost 25,000. That was about 5000 more than on Friday.
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The region around the capital, Madrid, is hardest hit. So far, 8921 cases of infection have been registered there, that is, just over every third case nationwide. Thousands of other cases have been identified in Catalonia, the Basque Country and Andalusia.
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In Spain there has been a curfew since March 14th. The 46 million inhabitants are only allowed to leave their homes to get to work, do groceries, get medication or go for a walk with the dog. (kes / SDA)
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