A week after the Spanish government declared a state of emergency because of the spread of coronavirus, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said on Saturday night that "very tough days are ahead". "We have to reach the end of next week very strong. The risk is everywhere, but we have to make a greater effort in some places."
The prime minister called on the Spanish people to "prepare emotionally" for the end of this coming week. He observed that "Covid-19 is an infection that spreads with unprecedented speed and ease". "We have been applying the strategy defined by the WHO (World Health Organization) to contain the spread of the virus. We have to get the necessary time for science to find effective treatments". "The diagnosed cases and the numbers of deceased are going to increase in the coming days. Very tough days are coming."
Sánchez accepted that Spain is one of the countries most affected in Europe by the pandemic and recognized that the virus has several different characteristics from those of the common flu and that it spreads much faster than this and is more lethal.
Until a vaccine is available, he stated, it is necessary to respond to what is urgent, which is to defend life, but that "we must also think about how to recover our normality and prevent this situation from happening again". "All this will end when we find the vaccine. This will come, but we do not know when. Meanwhile, we have to prepare ourselves."
The objective of measures adopted by the government is to "get the necessary time" to improve the containment of the spread of the coronavirus. The goal is to "improve the readiness" of the health system and so that "science finds effective treatments and vaccines" that will bring an end to Covid-19.
"We will try to end these measures as soon as possible, but the commitment of citizens is essential."
3 comments
To be able to write a comment, you have to be registered and logged in
All things must pass - Keep strong people.
Expect the lockdown to extend to the 22nd April, in brace for the second wave. If Chinas lead is to be the example, it could last 3 months and then there'll be restrictions in place still for the next 10 months
Hopefully, the data on transmission of the virus will show a slowdown by the end of this 15 day lockdown. This would indicate that the measures are beginning to have the desired effect. If not, then where do we go from here? Fingers and everything else crossed for some good news amidst all this bleakness.