Spanish PM says to approve new measure asking non-essential workers to remain at home

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Saturday that his cabinet will approve a measure on Sunday that will oblige all non-essential workers to remain at home for the next two weeks.

Sanchez said the measure would come into effect on Monday, March 30, and last until April 9 in an attempt to halt the spread of the deadly coronavirus.

"The cabinet will approve an exceptional measure: all workers in non-essential activities will have to remain at home for the next two weeks," said Sanchez, adding that the Easter holidays would make the measure easier for workers to adapt to.

"We have almost seven days of Easter ahead of us and that is why we propose this as the moment to close non-essential economic activities, so people who work in these non-essential activities can still be paid," he said in a televised speech.

The prime minister added that workers would be able to make up the hours of work they miss over the rest of the year.

"It is a firm measure," commented Sanchez, who also appealed for unity in the European Union(EU) to meet the crisis and its economic consequences.

"The virus is putting the European project to the test and the EU has to be able to respond to the circumstances and not disappoint its citizens."

"Spain is asking the EU for brave decisions, firstly to combat the sanitary emergency... but Europe must also give an economic and social response. Europe has to promote a war economy and promote the resistance and then reconstruction," he noted.

Spain was in its 14th day of a State of Alarm, which began on March 14 and will last until at least April 12. The State of Alarm has drastically limited freedom of movement and closed all restaurants, bars and shops, except those selling "essential products," to try and halt the spread of the virus. It also gave the government powers to control essential industries and use the military to help control the crisis.

Saturday saw the number of deaths in Spain from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, rise to 5,690, with 72,248 cases confirmed by the country's Ministry of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Services.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)