Despite new infection records, Spain wants to contain the coronavirus pandemic without a new lockdown, but rather with an extremely strict curfew.
A total lockdown, as was the case for months in the spring, is not provided for in the new emergency decree,
Health Minister Salvador Illa said.
“And I am convinced that, thanks to the current measures, a total lockdown will not be necessary,” the minister told journalists in Madrid on Friday.
With 25,595 new infections within 24 hours, the highest value since the outbreak of the pandemic has now been recorded, bringing the total number of infections with the coronavirus near the 1.2 million mark in the country of 47 million inhabitants.
In Western Europe only France has a higher value, while in Germany there have been around half a million cases so far.
The number of people who have died from Covid-19 in Spain rose by 239 to a total of 35,878.
The number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days is 234.
Because of the rapidly increasing numbers, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared a two-week emergency on Sunday and, as part of this measure, ordered a night-time curfew practically throughout the country.
Only the Canaries are excluded.
A request from the left-wing government to extend the state of alarm – the third highest level of emergency – until May 9 was approved by parliament on Thursday.
As part of the state of emergency, 13 of Spain’s 17 autonomous communities also decided to cordon off their territory for up to two weeks.
Those affected are only allowed to leave their region with good reason – for example to go to work or to the doctor. Foreigners are also only allowed to enter in exceptional cases.
Only the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, Extremadura and Galicia are not sealed off.
Almost every day, somewhere in the country, people take to the streets to protest against the bans and restrictions. Protesters set dumpsters on fire in central Barcelona on Friday evening, while stones were thrown at the police.