25th April 2024
Pedro Sánchez
Barcelona News Catalonia News Madrid News Main News

Spain will not extend ‘State of Alarm’ beyond 9 May

Latest: Coronavirus in Spain figures (9 Apr)

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has said on Tuesday that his government will not seek to extend the current ‘State of Alarm’ in the country beyond 9 May, the date it is set to expire.

He has also said that with ‘prudent and conservative’ estimates, the country’s vaccination strategy will start to increase so that by the end of August, 70% of the population – some 33 million citizens – will be immunised against Covid-19.

Spain declared a new nationwide ‘State of Alarm’ to combat Coronavirus from 25 October 2020. Officially in place for six months, it expires on 9 May 2021. Following on from Spain’s first lockdown that had run from March-June 2020, the main purpose of this latest state of alarm has been to enable the regional governments of Spain the legal requirements to impose and enforce nighttime curfews and other restrictions, where required. Once it expires on 9 May, the decision to continue with restrictive measures, where deemed necessary, will rest with the regional governments, and within their local authority powers. However, they would not form part of a national state of emergency.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Sánchez said that his government expects 25 million citizens to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 by late July, whilst still confirming the end-August target of inoculating 70% of the population.

‘The pace of vaccination will accelerate in April and then each month we will improve the vaccination pace from the previous month,’ the prime minister said.

Pedro Sánchez
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. (Pool Moncloa / Borja Puig de la Bellacasa)

Sign up for the FREE Weekly Newsletter from Spain in English.

Please support Spain in English with a donation.

Click here to get your business activity or services listed on our DIRECTORY.

Click here for further details on how to ADVERTISE with us.

Recent Posts

Pedro Sánchez to announce on Monday whether he will continue as Prime Minister

News Desk

Spanish government wants Catholic Church to compensate its victims of sex abuse

News Desk

Spain re-opens probe into Spanish PM’s phone being hacked with Pegasus spyware

News Desk

Begoña Gómez, wife of Spanish PM, investigated over alleged corruption

News Desk

Basque elections: PNV survives rise of EH Bildu, and retains absolute majority with PSE-EE

News Desk

Thousands protest in Canary Islands against ‘unsustainable’ mass tourism model

News Desk

3 comments

sue morgan 6th April 2021 at 9:18 pm

I would hope ALL RESIDENTS

To be vaccinated before people from other countries are allowed in

Reply
Ethel 8th April 2021 at 11:23 am

WHY? People entering Spain are more at risk from the Spanish as they have been tested negative before entering Spain…!

Reply
Neil 7th April 2021 at 5:37 pm

I would hope the vaccination resistance grows and grows and grows. It will save lives!

Reply

Leave a Comment