Spanish PM calls for ‘ unity’ over winter

PRIME Minster Pedro Sanchez has appealed for Spaniards to pull together and defeat the new coronavirus, warning: “The situation is serious.” In a televised address yesterday, Sanchez acknowledged public fatigue with restrictions to contain the spread of Covid- 19.

But he added: “We have to step up the fight,” with more limits on people’s movement that will demand more sacrifices.

Spain this week became the first European country to surpass one million official Covid- 19 cases.

Sanchez admitted, though, that the true figure could be more than three million, due to gaps in testing and other reasons.

The current pressure on the health system, including hospitalisations, is not as acute as it was in the spring, he said.

Even so, he asked for the public’s co- operation, discipline and unity during the winter months which, he said “will be very hard”.

“We have a long road to travel,” he said, to get the pandemic under control.

Political jockeying over pandemic measures has muddled Spain’s strategy and made it at times difficult for the government and the country’s 19 regions to co- ordinate measures.

The latest spat is over whether to introduce curfews.

The Spanish government is demanding cross- party agreement before possibly declaring a state of emergency due to the coronavirus resurgence.

A national night- time curfew is being considered, but regional governments have already begun to impose their own. Yesterday Madrid banned social gatherings, except within a home, between midnight and 6am. Restaurants, cinemas, parks and student residences must also close at midnight.