Spain goes on lockdown amid growing coronavirus crisis
Spain has a population of 46 million people and 6,315 confirmed cases of coronavirus. Now, the country is going on lockdown.
The Spanish government said Saturday that they are implementing restrictions on movements throughout the country as part of a two-week state of emergency, according to The Associated Press. All restaurants, bars, hotels, schools and other non-essential businesses are now closed. People will only be allowed outside of their homes for essential activities, such as purchasing food and medicine, going to work, visiting medical centers and banks, or traveling to help take care of those who are young or elderly.
"From now we enter into a new phase," Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said in a television address to the country. "We won't hesitate in doing what we must to beat the virus. We are putting health first."
Sánchez also said that all police are now under the orders of the Interior Minister and that the country will deploy armed forces if deemed necessary.
As of Saturday, the country has 6,315 cases of coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University. At least 191 people have died from COVID-19 in Spain, and at least 517 people have recovered from the virus. According to AP, Spain health authorities said that half of the cases are in Madrid, the country's capital.
Since the first case was confirmed in Spain on January 31, an average of 146 people a day have been infected with the virus. Sánchez said the number of infections may soon reach 10,000.
Spain is the second country to embrace a lockdown in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. On March 9, Italy quarantined its 60 million people until next month. The country has experienced the second-highest number of cases and deaths outside of China. As of Saturday, Italy has 21,157 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and 1,441 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins.
Travel throughout Italy has been restricted, mass gatherings have been forbidden, employees have to work from home, and businesses are shutting their doors after dusk. Schools in Italy remain closed.
Quoting Winston Churchill, Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said the situation is Italy's "darkest hour."
"We have run out of time," Conte said last week. "We're having a growth in infection and deaths ... the whole of Italy will become a protected zone."