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King Felipe VI of Spain sent an Institutional Message to the Spanish people on Wednesday in the midst of the health crisis related to COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
It is only the second time the King has made such a speech, with the first made after the Catalan independence referendum on Oct. 1, 2017.
"Allow me to speak to you in this moment of a sanitary crisis which is not just affecting Spain, but also Europe and the rest of the world," said Felipe VI.
"All of the state and public institutions are working to end this crisis which is essential and the Spanish people can feel protected," he continued, saying Spain faced "a new and different crisis which is without precedents."
He gave his sympathy to those affected by the virus and those who had lost family members. He also thanked health service workers, saying they were "on the vanguard of the fight against the virus" and the nation's "first line of defense."
"There are moments in the history of nations when reality puts up to the test and where the values of a state and the capacity of a state are tested. I am certain we will respond, especially with solidarity for the most vulnerable," said the King, who ended his speech with a call for unity and to "give an example of responsibility" in combating the virus.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez addressed a special session in the Spanish Congress to explain the actions which his government has taken to slow the spread of the virus and also to limit its effects on the Spanish economy.
According to the Spanish Ministry of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Services on Wednesday, there are 13,716 cases of the coronavirus in Spain, 2,538 more than Tuesday and 558 people have died of the disease.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
