Spain put its 47 million inhabitants under partial lockdown on Saturday (March 14) as part of a 15-day state of emergency to combat the coronavirus epidemic in Europe’s second worst-affected country by the disease after Italy. Effective immediately, all Spaniards must stay home except to buy food, medicines, go to work or to the hospital, or for emergencies.

Bars, restaurants, and shops selling anything but food and other staples must shut down. All leisure and sports activities also have to close, including cinemas, theatres, swimming pools and football grounds. “We will (eventually) return to the routine of our jobs and again visit our friends and loved ones,” Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a nationally televised address. Until that time comes, let’s not waste energies that are essential now. Let’s not lose our way,” he said, urging all to stay home.

Shortly after the announcement, the government said Mr Sanchez’s wife, Ms Begona Gomez, had tested positive for coronavirus.Spain had 193 coronavirus deaths and 6,250 cases so far, public broadcaster TVE said, well up from 120 deaths reported last Friday.
Strait Times