Spain has put its inhabitants under lockdown from Monday morning 8am, March 16th 2020, as part of a 15-day state of emergency plan to combat the coronavirus.
The government declared that all Spaniards and those permanently resident in Spain must stay at home except to buy food, go to the pharmacy, to the hospital, visit banks, go to work or in emergencies, the decree issued on Saturday by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and his ministers states.
“Physical presence in commercial premises should be limited to what is strictly necessary,” Sanchez said, adding that crowds must be avoided, and consumers and employees must maintain a meter of distance between one another in order to avoid contagion. “I am also announcing that in order to ensure the supply of goods, the Health Ministry will be able to impose the necessary orders for the provision of the market,” Sanchez said. “The Health Ministry will be able to impose obligatory personal requisitions.” The prime minister added that the Spanish government would guarantee the supply of foodstuffs.
All bars, restaurants, conference centres and all leisure and sports activities - including cinemas, theatres, swimming pools or football grounds - will be shut down.
All retail activity is suspended apart from businesses selling foodstuffs, pharmacies, tobacconists, suppliers of IT equipment, newsstands, hairdressers and dry cleaners.
All public transport will be curtailed, with airline, train, bus, ferry and boat operators told they need to cut their services by at least half and that any plane, train, bus or other means of transport can only be a third full.
Employers will have the obligation to let their workers work remotely and judicial proceedings will be suspended.
Spain's Interior Ministry will control all police forces, including local and regional ones, under the 15-day emergency rule, which may be extended further.
The health and transport ministries will also have nationwide reach, taking over some local or regional powers.
Spanish prime minister Sanchez said the lockdown will begin on Monday at 8 a.m. (0700 GMT) while all other measures have entered into force as soon as the decree was published in the official journal. ''We will have the Armed Forces at our disposal – the Army is prepared for this.''
In an earlier move all cruise ships were banned from entering Spanish ports.
Note: All these measures will also apply in the Canary Islands.
Tourists will be allowed to return home ...and if they stay they'll have to remain in their accommodation, too.
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