President Pedro Sanchez of Spain has announced sweeping measures to control the spread of Coronavirus in Spain, here slow we have a translation from professional community advisor and volunteer Nicky Gordon…

More as we get it:

NEW “State of Alert “.

Rules and regulations

STARTING DATE – MONDAY 16th March 8am

Spain has announced emergency measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 that restrict public movement to essential journeys only. The measure affects the Canary Islands and come into effect on Monday 16 th March 8am. The full text is below and as a basic summary

1.You can only be on the streets if you are buying food or going to pharmacy for medication

2.Visiting a bank

3.going to work or returning from work where working from home impossible and on minimum staff.

4.Home helps and carers helping dependent people

5. Any creditable or essential reason.

Any specific info for Gran Canaria will be posted and all the questions not answered and info given we will try and find answers.

OFFICIAL STATEMENT.

The Government will limit the movement of citizens to the maximum to stop the spread of the coronavirus. All of Spain is formally closed with the development of the decree of the state of alarm. In the draft of the text, which Cadena SER advanced and to which EL PAÍS has had access, the limitations of movements are very clear: Citizens “may only circulate on public roads to carry out the following activities: a) acquisition of food, pharmaceuticals and basic necessities. b) Assistance to health centers. c) Travel to the workplace to carry out their labor, professional or business provision. d) Return to the place of habitual residence. e) Assistance and care for the elderly, minors, dependents, people with disabilities or especially vulnerable people. f) Displacement to financial entities. g) Due to force majeure or need. h) Any other activity of an analogous nature duly justified ”. That is, basically no one can move except to go to work, go home, or search for food and medicine. Of course, the Government requires companies to establish telework for everyone whenever possible. “Employers, both public and private, will be obliged to facilitate measures that allow the employment or civil service of employees by means of non-contact means whenever possible,” the text states. This leaves a space open so that production is not completely interrupted, but it does force all employers to send home as many workers as they can.

For several days there were rumors that the Government would close Madrid, now all of Spain is closed, although the decision comes already at the advanced weekend, when thousands of Madrid residents, disregarding the Executive’s recommendations, have moved to rest areas. All these limitations will be effective as of 8:00 a.m. on March 16, 2020.

To prevent this movement, states the decree, “The head of the Ministry of the Interior may agree to close the circulation of roads or sections of them for reasons of public health, traffic safety or fluidity or the restriction on them of access by certain vehicles for the same reasons. When the measures referred to in the preceding paragraphs are adopted ex officio, prior notification will be given to the Autonomous Administrations that exercise powers to execute the State’s legislation on traffic, vehicle circulation and road safety ”.

What the decree does is to extend the restrictive measures that Madrid is already applying to all of Spain, for example, the closing of shops that are not for the sale of food, medicine or matters of extreme necessity. “The suspension of the opening to the public of the premises and establishments incorporated in Annex I of this Royal Decree is established, as well as any other activity or establishment that in the opinion of the competent authority may pose a risk of contagion. The permanence in commercial establishments whose opening is allowed must be strictly necessary so that consumers can purchase food and basic necessities, the possibility of consuming products in the establishments themselves being suspended. In any case, crowds will be avoided and consumers and employees will be controlled to maintain the safety distance of at least one meter in order to avoid possible contagion ”.

The restrictions are very similar to the Italian ones. Public transport is not closed, but its frequency will be limited in those that are from one city to another, to limit movement. “Transport operators will reduce the total supply of operations by at least 50% (option: 40% -60%, taking into account that with the reduction in the number of tickets that can be sold per vehicle, total mobility will to see very reduced). State-owned public passenger, road, rail, air and sea transport services that are subject to a public contract or public service obligations will reduce their total offer of operations by at least the following percentages: i. Commuter rail services: 50% (option 40-60%). ii. Medium distance rail services: 50% (option 40-60%). iii. Medium-distance railway services-AVANT: 50% (option 40-60%). iv. Regular road passenger transport services: 50% (option 40-60%) ”, the draft decree points out.

The decree further guarantees that all basic supplies will be guaranteed. The decree states that “The competent authorities will adopt the necessary measures to guarantee: a) Food supply in places of consumption and the operation of the services of the production centers, allowing the distribution of food from the origin to the commercial establishments of sale to the consumer, including warehouses, logistics centers and destination markets. In particular, when it is necessary for security reasons, the accompaniment of the vehicles that carry the mentioned goods may be agreed. b) When necessary, the establishment of sanitary corridors to allow the entry and exit of people, raw materials and processed products destined for or coming from establishments where food is produced, including farms, animal feed factories and slaughterhouses. 2. Likewise, the competent authorities may agree to the intervention of companies or services, as well as the mobilization of the security forces and bodies of the State and the Armed Forces in order to ensure the proper functioning of the provisions of this article. ” .

The Government is also reorganizing to manage this crisis. The decree indicates that there will be four key ministries, which “will be delegated competent authorities, in their respective areas of responsibility”: a) The head of the Ministry of Defense. b) The head of the Ministry of the Interior. c) The holder of the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda. d) The holder of the Ministry of Health. “” Likewise, in the areas of responsibility that do not fall under the competence of any of the previous holders, the head of the Ministry of Health will be the delegated competent authority, “states the text, which places in These four ministers and the president are the hard core of crisis management.

The Ministry of Health takes control of all decisions, even if the powers are transferred. “All civil Authorities of the Public Administrations of the national territory, and in particular the health authorities, as well as other officials and workers serving them, will be under the direct orders of the Minister of Health as necessary for the protection of persons , goods and places, being able to impose extraordinary services for their duration or their nature. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the regional and local public administrations will maintain the management, within their sphere of competence, of the corresponding health services, ensuring their proper functioning at all times. The Minister of Health reserves the exercise of all the powers that are necessary to guarantee cohesion and equity in the provision of the aforementioned service, ”states the text. Even private healthcare is under his command in case it is necessary to go to it. “In particular, the full disposition of the civil authorities responsible for the field of public health, and of the officials who serve in it, will be ensured, all of them being under the direct orders of the Minister of Health. This measure will also guarantee the possibility of determining the best distribution in the territory of all technical and personal resources, in accordance with the needs that are revealed in the management of this health crisis. The competent delegated authorities shall exercise their powers to ensure that personnel and military health centers and establishments contribute to strengthening the national health system throughout the national territory. Likewise, the Minister of Health may exercise those powers

that are necessary for these purposes with respect to private health centers ”.