Spain To Deploy 64,000 Additional Troops Over Easter

SPAIN to deploy 64,000 additional troops to ensure compliance over Easter

The Ministry of the Interior has confirmed that an additional 64,200 troops, consisting of both National Police and Guardia Civil officers, will be deployed throughout Spain to ensure compliance with the perimeter restrictions over Holy Week. The head of the department, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, announced the measures at a meeting of the Interterritorial Council on Wednesday, March 24, adding that some 9.539 sanctions were handed out to travellers over the San Juan Bridge.

The restrictions, which remain in place until April 9, mean that people will not be permitted to travel outside their autonomous communities, except for essential reasons. The minister warned all drivers ahead of Holy Week that an abundance of officers will be patrolling borders to “ensure the effectiveness” of the control measures.

“We are still in an exceptional situation and we must stay at home and reduce mobility as much as possible. It is not yet possible to plan long-distance trips”, he said.

Mr Marlaska expressed his concern that Covid figures have begun to rise in Spain over the last few days, and recognised the “enormous” effort that has left “everyone on the verge of exhaustion” over the past year. He has pleaded with citizens to comply with the measure put in place by the Ministry of Health and added simply that the “priority objective is to save lives.”

Remaining sensible over Easter, he said, would prevent us “having to adopt tougher measures in the future to prevent an unwanted fourth wave of infections.”

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