Regions can declare State of Alarm to deal with surge in Covid-19 cases, Spain’s PM announces

SPAIN’S regional governments will be able to declare a State of Alarm in all or part of their region to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Tuesday.

“The competent authority and the only authority will be the president of the autonomous community,” Sanchez made it clear at a press conference following a cabinet meeting.

The Prime Minister explained that the regional head of government would appear in the Spanish Parliament along with the government to explain the situation and request, if they believe it necessary, an extension to the State of Alarm.

He also clarified that it is a legal tool which is not the same as the lockdown.

Sanchez admitted that with the number of total infections in the country at more than 405,000, and more than 20,000 just in the last fortnight, the evolution of the pandemic is “worrying.”

He called for Spain to stand united to flatten the Covid-19 curve and insisted that “what this situation requires is a more intense response, but also calmer.”

More than anything the government’s strategy is to “provide all the material and legal means” to the regions to deal with the pandemic,” he said.

He particularly highlighted the fact the government is making 2,000 personnel available to regional governments for tracing and detection of the virus and will reinforce digital tracing measures, especially the Radar COVID app now operating in seven regions.