Virus death toll DOUBLES in just 1 day
Flights to Costas axed Beaches and bars shut France lockdown begins
THE UK coronavirus death toll doubled yesterday as infections on British soil rose by a third to more than 1,100, with numbers
BRITS in Benidorm yesterday faced chaos as half of Europe was put into coronavirus lockdown.
Spain announced a “state of emergency”, with officials ordering nationwide isolation as part of desperate measures to halt the deadly outbreak after cases in the country soared to nearly 6,000 overnight.
It came as one airline cancelled flights to the country and its islands, including the Canaries.
And France ordered non-essential public places and businesses, including cafés and cinemas, to close from midnight last night. Cases there have reached 4,499.
In Spain too holidaymakers were hit by the forced closure of bars, restaurants, nightclubs and beaches along the coast in popular spots such as the Costa Blanca, Benidorm, Costa del Sol and Valencia.
Tourists already there have been warned they must not “act as if you’re on holiday”, with police patrolling beaches and removing people.
Hours before the ordered closure, tourists could still be seen ordering pints in bars. But Dave Curtis, an expat living in Salou, said: “It all just went absolutely mental. “One day it was fine, the next everything was being locked down. They are taking it really seriously. Police are not taking no for an answer. The shops ran out of food and water almost immediately. Many homes don’t have drinking water, so that’s a big concern.”
Confirmed cases of the virus in Spain increased by more than 1,500 in just 24 hours and a further 120 people died, leading to the Spanish government enforcing the 15-day quarantine order.
Under the rules, people will only be able to leave home under “emergency” conditions such as to buy food and pharmaceutical products, travelling to vital places of work and going to hospital.
As Jet2 yesterday cancelled flights to Spain, some planes carried out a mid-air U-turn over France, including those from Birmingham to Malaga, and Leeds to Alicante.
Jet2 said: “We’ve taken the decision to cancel all flights to mainland Spain, the Balearic and Canary Islands with immediate effect. We are reviewing our programme as a matter of urgency so that we can fly customers back to the UK.”
Spain’s PM Pedro Sanchez is said to be set to shut down the country’s airspace. It is not thought the order will stop Brits going home.