Confirmed: lockdown extended until at least 11 April

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has confirmed that the current lockdown in Spain due to the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic will be extended until at least 11 April.

The Spanish government has also announced a block on all non-essential flights for 30 days. All travel outside the Schengen zone has been suspended. Sánchez has also announced that the authorities will be taking control of residential and nursing homes for the elderly for the next 30 days. 67% of deaths related to Coronavirus in Spain have been people aged over 80.

With regards Spain’s rulings on funerals, the government has now also suspended a clause that states that 24 hours must pass before burials or cremations.

‘Europe is at war against Coronavirus,’ Pedro Sánchez said.

Official figures released by the Spanish Health Ministry at 12 noon on Sunday confirmed 28,572 known cases of Coronavirus in Spain, which is 3,646 more than yesterday. 1,720 people are now also known to have died from the pandemic (up by 394 from yesterday). There are 15,554 people in hospital, of which 1,785 are in intensive care. 2,575 people have now made a full recovery.

The new measures adopted by the Spanish government also follow on from another video-conference meeting that Sánchez held with all Spain’s regional presidents on Sunday morning.

The president of Catalonia Quim Torra has continued to demand a 100% lockdown following the video-conference meeting, and has claimed that another four regional presidents also asked for stricter confinement rules.

Torra has also said that in the coming hours Catalonia would pass a decree regulating the minimum space between people at their places of work. With the exception of certain jobs, like medical professionals or police officers, most people will be required to maintain a 1.5m distance between them and their coworkers.

‘How does it make sense to stay home all weekend and then go to work with others on Monday?’ Torra said on Sunday, believing that there should be a total lockdown and that only essential jobs should be carried out.

Below are the numbers to call for each region of Spain for information and assistance in the event of possible cases of Coronavirus – as issued by the Spanish health authorities.

Click here for further information (in Spanish) regarding Coronavirus from the Spanish Health Ministry.