EUROPE LOCKDOWN SPAIN FREE

Amid concerns that the actual number of deaths caused by the virus could be much higher, the government has said the lockdown is likely to stretch into mid-May. Spain has seen one of the world’s highest rates of deaths per million inhabitants, with more than 20,000 people killed as the virus races through the country. The stringent measures were unleashed as the country tackled a Covid-19 outbreak that was spreading at one of the fastest rates in the world. Photograph: Sopa Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

The mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, with her childrenĪt an event in the city last year. Save for a few exceptions – such as children with special educational needs or single-parent families – minors are to remain in their homes. The Spanish government plunged the country into a near-total lockdown on 14 March, ordering most residents to remain at home at all times, allowed out individually and only for short trips to buy food, medicine, or to walk the dog. Politicians of all stripes have echoed her call, as have hundreds of doctors, psychologists and educators, citing concerns about children’s ability to manage issues such as anxiety and stress while being kept entirely indoors.

EUROPE LOCKDOWN SPAIN FREE

The leftwing mayor is equally as clear about the remedy: “Wait no longer: Free our children!” Colau urged on social media last week. “We have spent more than a month at home with two small children, who haven’t left home for even one single day,” said Colau. Colau is unequivocal about the cause: a lockdown that has left children in Spain confined to their homes longer – and under stricter conditions – than any other country in Europe.

Europe lockdown spain