Prime Minister Sanchez Confirms Drastic Lockdown

Prime Minister Sanchez Confirms Drastic Lockdown. The Prime Minister has confirmed that the lockdown begins immediately.

Prime Minister Sanchez Confirms Drastic Lockdown

“The measures that we are going to adopt are drastic and will have consequences”. These are the words of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez this evening, as he confirmed that Spain will enter a period of lockdown immediately.

In his address Mr. Sanchez said “Too many times we humans have become confused when identifying our enemies. Now it is convenient not to be mistaken, because we are facing our true enemy, which is the virus.” And he adds: “The objective is to stop its spread and eliminate the virus. When we observe that the virus diffusion curve slows, that will be the first collective victory.”

The PM has confirmed a minimum 15 day lockdown period.

Exceptions To Movement Restrictions

The Prime Minister announced the decree which means people are only permitted to leave their homes in the following circumstances:

Travel for food or medical supplies
Travel to your workplace
Visiting health centres of hospitals
Assisting the elderly and vulnerable
Visiting financial institutions and banks
Personal emergencies

Fifteen Days Lockdown

The lockdown will remain in place for a minimum of 15 days. Police are likely to stop and question anyone who they believe may not be abiding by the rules. The government also has the right to draft in army support if civil unrest becomes an issue.

Chef Steven Saunders is concerned for his staff at The Little Geranium.

Bars And Restaurants Closed

The lockdown means that all bars and restaurants must close. Steven Saunders from The Little Geranium in La Cala says “The impact on local businesses is enormous. My staff are devastated and worried about their income. There is so much uncertainty”.

Local bar owner Cath John feels it would be irresponsible to open at the moment

Cath John from CJ’s Karaoke Bar in Benalmadena supports the decision. “We are sad that we can’t entertain our loyal customers, but their safety and the safety of my team has to be the priority. We don’t take this decision lightly, but it would be irresponsible of us to put money above safety”.

Public Support

Friday night was a busy night for many bars who chose to remain open on the Costa Del Sol. The enforced lockdown today is being well received though, as expat Susan Jones in Torremolinos says that it’s better to be safe. “I was shocked how many places chose to remain open last night, it’s better to be safe and close. I understand the financial implications, but if we’re going to get ahead of this thing then we need to pull together. Pig headed stubbornness doesn’t help in this situation, it’s very real and it’s happening to us now”.

Published: 14.03.2020

Written by Dave James