Arguing, on Wednesday May 6, that a too "hasty" deconfinement would be "unforgivable", the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez convinced a majority of deputies to extend the state of alert in the country, one of the most bereaved by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Thanks to the voices of the Liberals of Ciudadanos and the Basque nationalists, the state of alert system, which in particular makes it possible to limit travel and was due to expire on Saturday at midnight, has been extended by two weeks, until May 23 inclusive. 

The right-wing opposition of the Popular Party, which had voted for the previous extensions, however refused this time to follow the Prime Minister. 

"To ignore the risk of the epidemic and to raise the state of alert in a hurry would be an absolute, total and unforgivable error," argued Pedro Sanchez before the deputies. 

This is the fourth time that the state of alert has been extended. It had allowed the Spanish executive to impose on March 14 the strictest containment, which began to be relaxed since the end of April.   

Significant slowdown of the epidemic 

According to the new assessment published Wednesday by the Ministry of Health and which confirms the marked slowdown of the epidemic, Spain has recorded 244 deaths from the coronavirus in 24 hours, a rebound after three days below 200. 

In total, the number of deaths rose to 25,857 while the number of confirmed cases exceeded 220,000. 

"We were progressing very well", but "it would be really sad that because of a desire to go out faster than what is recommended, we lose all that we have gained", warned the director of the Emergency Center sanitary, Dr. Fernando Simon.  

After having authorized children's walks at the end of April and then adults' outings for sports or walks last weekend, the government plans to launch, on Monday, a new phase of the deconfinement plan which is to run until at the end of June. 

Until the end of this plan, travel will remain limited for the Spanish, who will not be able to leave their province. 

"The restrictions will be less and less severe, but there will still be restrictions and these restrictions require a state of alert" to be applied, explained Pedro Sanchez. 

Its management of the crisis is severely criticized by the Popular Party, the first right-wing opposition force, as well as by the extreme right and the Catalan separatists who consider that the government makes excessive use of the state of alert. 

With AFP 

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