Tears and jeers as Spanish coronavirus toll rises

Spain’s death toll has driven a regional health official to tears, while the Prime Minister predicted an economic slump.

Spaniards in Madrid bang pots on protest against the royal family. Picture: Getty Images

The surging death toll in Spain has driven a regional health official to tears, while Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez predicted an economic slump, urging all to rally in what he called a “war” against the virus.

With nearly 640 deaths, Spain is Europe’s second-worst hit country after Italy and has the world’s fourth-highest number of cases, at almost 15,000 on Thursday. In a sign of the mounting emotional pressure, the director of health in the Aragon region, Javier Marion, broke down in tears during a news conference. Aragon had 13 dead and 226 ­infected as of Wednesday.

Prosecutors in Madrid opened an investigation into a nursing home where at least 17 residents have died of COVID-19 since ­Friday.

“We have never lived through anything like this. And our society ... now finds itself in a war to defend all we have taken for granted,” Mr Sanchez told a near-empty parliament, with just 28 deputies and five ministers present to avoid spreading the infection.

Between speeches, a masked and gloved cleaner wiped down the handrails leading to the speaker platform and microphones.

“It is clear that annual GDP will fall ... 2020 will not have 12 months, but 10 or even nine,” Mr Sanchez said, promising to do everything to guarantee a speedy recovery.

His government announced a €200bn ($390bn) package on Tuesday to help companies and protect workers and vulnerable groups affected by the crisis. Spain initially took few steps to combat the crisis, moving abruptly to shut down shops and curb public life just over a week ago as the number of cases started soaring.

In a rare address to the nation on Wednesday night, King Felipe called on Spaniards to adapt their way of life to beat the virus.

“We must all contribute to that collective effort with our attitudes and our actions, however small they may be,” he said.

During his speech, the streets of Madrid and Barcelona rang out with the banging of pots and pans as thousands showed their displeasure at a time when the royal family faces renewed criticism for its privilege and scandals.

Dennys Martin Gomez Acevedo, an Uber Eats rider from Venezuela, said even though he was “a little bit scared” by the disease, he couldn’t stop working.

“The majority of (clients) say, ‘Oh thank you, man, to keep working and keep the country going’, and there are others that you can tell are a bit more scared,” he said. “They open the door and say ‘Don’t touch the door, keep a distance for your health and for mine, so we need to manage all these situations’.”

As the coronavirus tally worsened, Britain advised all its tourists to leave Spain by Tuesday, while Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya reassured foreign visitors the government would help them return home.

Reuters