Spain authorities urge responsible behaviour amid COVID-19 after shopping crowd incident

Amid the struggle with the second wave of COVID-19 infections in Spain, the government has urged its people to behave responsibly after shopping crowd scenes were witnessed on the streets of Madrid and other big cities over the weekend. The Spanish government has asked the people to use their 'common sense' during the state of emergency in which the country has been since the end of October.

Call to reduce social lives

A large number of people came out onto the streets of Madrid, Valencia, Barcelona, and Malaga over the weekend amid the different festivities taking place, especially with Christmas being around the corner and seasonal shopping. Reacting to this Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez requested people to drastically reduce their social lives and limit their movements for the common good.

READ | Spanish PM: Spain to launch vaccination plan in January

Silvia Calzon, Spain’s secretary of state for health, also appealed to the people to act wisely and avoid large crowds. She pointed out the sacrifices that had been made to flatten the curve and that many families especially those with vulnerable members had suffered greatly.

On the other hand, Madrid’s mayor Jose Luis Martínez-Almeida played down the crowd and said he would not discourage people from heading into the centre of the city while adding that police had a plan for avoiding large build-ups of people. Almeida further urged people to follow the health and safety guidelines to avoid huge gatherings of people.

READ | Spain: Senegal migrant turns COVID nurse, activist

Christmas and new year gatherings limited to six people

Moreover, the Spanish government is hoping to avoid another surge in COVID-19 cases early next year by suggesting that Christmas and New Year gatherings be limited to six people and that a 1 am-6 am curfew be enforced during the holidays. 

According to The Guardian reports, the Spanish PM said they are working on a specific plan for Christmas that will be different but safe and this year, people will need to stay at a distance from loved ones, instead of embracing them. So far, Spain has logged 1.65 million cases of COVID-19 and recorded 45,069 deaths.

Additionally, the regional government of Madrid is proposing to allow groups of up to 10 people to gather on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day and the feast of the Epiphany on 6 January, according to the report. The number of different households allowed to mix would be capped at three, it added.

READ | A migrant's odyssey from boat to COVID nursing job in Spain

READ | Spain dismantles makeshift camp for holding Africans in Canary Islands

(Image Credits-AP)