The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic was confirmed to have spread to Spain on 31 January 2020, when a German tourist tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in La Gomera, Canary Islands.[3] By 24 February, following a COVID-19 outbreak in Italy, Spain confirmed multiple cases related to the Italian clusters, originating from a medical doctor from Lombardy, Italy, who was on holiday in Tenerife.[5] Afterwards, multiple COVID-19 cases were detected in Tenerife involving people who had come in contact with the doctor. Other cases involving individuals who visited Italy were also discovered in Peninsular Spain.[6][7][8]
As of 1 April 2020[update], there have been 110,238 confirmed cases with 26,743 recoveries and 10,095 deaths in Spain according to authorities.[4] The actual number of people infected, however, is likely to be much higher than the number of confirmed cases, as many people with only mild or no symptoms are unlikely to have been tested.[9][10] A study by Carlos III Health Institute found that some communities had only been able to identify half of their coronavirus deaths while others had managed to eliminate this problem after 16 March.[11] At least 6,092 hospitalised people have needed intensive care.[12] As of 21 March 350,000 tests for COVID-19 had been distributed.[13] Since 13 March 2020, there have been registered cases in all 50 provinces of the country. As of late March, the Madrid region has recorded the most cases and deaths in the country. Medical professionals and those who live in retirement homes have experienced especially high infection rates.[14] On 25 March 2020, the death toll in Spain surpassed that of mainland China; only Italy has a higher death toll globally.[15]
^The data from 2020-02-13 to 2020-03-03 include one case of a Valencian man who died from the virus on 2020-02-13 but was only posthumously confirmed as infected on 2020-03-04.
^ abData corresponding to a current day, which may be subject to further updating.
On 9 February, the second case involved a British male tourist in Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands, who contracted the disease after coming into contact with someone in France who subsequently tested positive.[18]
On 13 February, the first death in Spain was recorded involving a 69-year-old man who had been in Nepal. He died in Valencia and was diagnosed post-mortem.[20]
On 24 February, following a COVID-19 outbreak in Italy, a medical doctor from Lombardy, Italy, who was on holiday in Tenerife, tested positive at the University Hospital of the Nuestra Señora de Candelaria in Spain.[6] The H10 Costa Adeje Palace in Tenerife was put on lockdown.[21]
On 25 February, four new cases related to the Italian cluster were confirmed in Spain:
In Canary Islands, the wife of the medical doctor from Lombardy, who was on holiday in Tenerife, tested positive.[6]
In Catalonia, a 36-year-old Italian woman living in Spain, who visited Bergamo and Milan from 12 to 22 February, also tested positive in Barcelona.[7][8]
A 24-year-old man from Madrid, who recently returned from Northern Italy, tested positive and was admitted to Hospital Carlos III.[22][23]
On the Canary Islands, two Italian tourists, who were on holiday with the Italian doctor and his wife, also tested positive. The group were transferred to University Hospital of the Nuestra Señora de Candelaria and underwent quarantine.[26] In Barcelona, a 22-year-old man who visited Italy a few days ago was tested positive.[27] Another positive was detected in Hospital Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, San Sebastián de La Gomera.[28]
In Barcelona, a 22-year-old woman from Tenerife, who travelled to Italy from 19 to 25 February, was admitted to Hospital Clínic.[30]
In Castile and León, an 18-year-old Italian Erasmus student studying in IE University, Segovia, who had just returned from Milan, was admitted to Hospital General de Segovia,[31][32] and an engineer from Iran, working in Valladolid.[33]
In the Valencian Community, a 44-year-old man from Valencia, who worked as a sportswriter and travelled to Milan's San Siro Stadium on 19 February to watch a football clash between Atalanta B.C. and Valencia CF, tested positive and was admitted to Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valencia. Two other people with whom he had contact also tested positive and were admitted to the same hospital. Two more people, who had visited the same football game in Milan, were hospitalised at the same place.[34][35][36][37] A woman, who had visited Milan, was hospitalised at Hospital de Sagunto, Valencia.[37] An Italian student studying in Valencia, who had visited Northern Italy, was admitted to Hospital Universitario Doctor Peset.[37]
On 28 February:
Television cameras covering the first coronavirus cases in a Hospital in Valencia.
In Andalusia, a 28-year-old male who resides in Milan tested positive in Almería had been admitted to Hospital Mediterráneo.[38] Another eight people tested positive: two men of 42 and 53 years and a 81-year-old woman in Marbella, a 25-year-old nurse from Arjonilla who treated a person who was positive for coronavirus at the Torrejón de Ardoz Hospital, a 58-year-old Sevillian doctor and two men aged 42 and 53 years and a 55-year-old woman in Fuengirola.[39][40]
In Andalusia, two new suspicious cases tested positive in Fuengirola involving two men aged 59 and 62 years old residing in the province of Málaga, increasing to a total of ten cases.[42]
In Andalusia two young infected doctors increased the number of Andalusian cases to 12.[49]
In the Basque Country another four cases were reported, three originated from previous positive contacts in the province of Álava, while one from Gipuzkoa was a healthcare professional and did not have any relationship or history of risk.[50]
In Castile and León, one case was reported of a 62-year-old truck driver who had travelled to Milan two weeks before and tested positive for coronavirus at El Bierzo Hospital.[52]
Extremadura announced the first four cases, a 56-year-old male in Coria, a 56-year-old man in Cáceres also and two males of 58 years and another of 19 in Llerena-Zafra.[53]
2 March
In the Basque Country, another healthcare worker was reported infected in the province of Álava, bringing the number of cases to 10.[54]
In Cantabria, nine new cases originating from people who travelled to Italy increased the total cases there 10 cases in the community.[55]
Castilla–La Mancha announced two new cases: men of 23 and 30 years of age, both imported cases, with an epidemiological link with the risk zone of northern Italy and who were being treated in the Almansa and Albacete hospitals.[56]
In Castile and León five new cases in one day brought the total to eight people affected by coronavirus in the region.[57] Three in Leon, of which one was a policeman from León who had been taking a statement from two Korean citizens with an active cough,[58] a 19-year-old student of the University of Salamanca,[59] and a 52-year-old man from La Rioja in the province of Burgos.[60]
Catalonia reported three more positive cases to the list: two 16 and 20-year-old women residing in Girona who had travelled to northern Italy between 14 and 16 February. The third case is a 28-year-old man living in Barcelona who had travelled to Milan from 20 to 23 February.[61]
Two new positives in Extremadura, two women aged 20 and 21 from Badajoz, increased the total to 6.[62]
Positive cases of coronavirus increased to 29 in the Community of Madrid, after an initial erroneous report that reported the figure as 32 in a press conference by the director of the Centre for Coordination of Health Alerts and Emergencies of the Ministry of Health, Fernando Simón.[63]
In Navarre, a second positive case was reported of a man aged 34, who was a family member of the admitted woman.[64]
In the Basque Country three more positives, two new infected in Álava, and the first one from Bizkaia, raising the total positives to 13, 10 in Araba, 2 in Gipuzkoa and 1 in Bizkaia.[70]
In Castilla–La Mancha there were four new cases reported, bringing the total up to seven, two in the province of Guadalajara and another two in the province of Toledo.[71]
A new case in Catalonia, a 38-year-old tourist who had been in Milan, reaching 18 infected people.[72]
In the Community of Madrid 27 new positive cases of coronavirus bring the total up to 56, with five serious in intensive care.[73]
In La Rioja the second case of coronavirus was confirmed, a man who was in contact with the person who is part of the health staff of the Txagorritxu Hospital (Vitoria-Gasteiz, Álava) that was confirmed as the first case in the community.[74]
In the Valencian Community the number of infected rises to 19 cases, with four new cases.[75] After a forensic investigation, a man who had been infected with coronavirus in the Hospital Arnau de Vilanova died on 13 February in Valencia.[76]
The first death in Madrid took place this day; it was reported on 5 March after a forensic analysis.[77][78]
4 March
In Asturias a new positive case was reported, amounting 4 cases.[79]
In Aragon the first case of coronavirus was confirmed, a 79-year-old man.[80]
In the Balearic Islands, two more confirmed cases, two young men from Sa Pobla who travelled to Bergamo, making a total of 4 active cases and one recovered.[81]
In the Basque Country 8 another positives bring the total positives to 21, 16 active cases in Álava, two in Gipuzkoa and three more infected and one death in Vizcaya. 250 people remain in isolation, more than of them a hundred are health professionals.[82][83]
In Castile and León three more new cases in one day bring the total to 11 affected by coronaviruses in the region: a young woman, health professional from the Basque Health Service, admitted to the Burgos University Assistance Complex, another male in Miranda de Ebro and young man from a recent trip to Italy in Segovia.[84]
In Castilla–La Mancha there were 5 new cases reported, bringing the total up to 12: 7 in the province of Guadalajara, 2 in Toledo, 1 in Albacete, 1 in Almansa and 1 in Tomelloso.[85]
10 new cases in Catalonia, reaching a total of 28 infected people, a 23-year-old woman from Barcelona who had been on holiday in Milan, a 39-year-old man from Barcelona who had travelled to Bergamo and Milan, a 40-year-old man from Barcelona who also travelled to Milan, a 47-year-old man from Manresa who was infected by a positive from Valencia, and a 53-year-old woman and a 52-year-old man, both from Girona, who have also been infected by previously confirmed cases, all these last three cases by local contact.[86][87]
In the Community of Madrid 20 new positive cases of coronavirus brought the total to 76, of which 41 were hospitalised and 7 in intensive care.[89]
Five new cases were reported in La Rioja, but one of them is counted in Burgos, Castilla y León, so the positives cases total in the community amounts to 6.[90][91]
In the Valencian Community the infected rises to 22 cases, with four new cases and one of the previous day discarded, 3 of them in the province of Alicante.[92]
5 March
In Andalusia 4 new cases were reported, a 17-year-old girl in Málaga at the Santa Rosa de Lima school who returned last week from a study trip to Italy, a 23-year-old woman and a 37-year-old woman in Seville and a 41-year-old woman in Alhaurín de la Torre, bringing the total to 17 active cases and not 16 as reported by the media.[93][94]
In Asturias a new positive case in Gijón, a 48-year-old male related to the Torrejón de Ardoz cluster (Madrid), was reported, amounting 5 cases.[95]
In the Balearic Islands, one more positive male, making a total of 5 active cases and one recovered.[96]
In the Basque Country 6 another positives, raising the total positives to 27.[97]
In the Canary Islands two new cases (a female Italian tourist in Gran Canaria and an Italian tourist in San Cristobal de la Laguna) and a recovery of a person (an hotel guest of H10 Costa Adeje Palace) were reported, raising the total to 8 active cases and 3 recoverys.[98][99][100]
In Castilla–La Mancha 1 new case in Guadalajara was reported, raising the total to 13.[103]
In Catalonia, 4 new positive cases of coronavirus increase to 32 in total.[104]
In Galicia, the second positive in the community, a 43-year-old male admitted to the Álvaro Cunqueiro de Vigo Hospital was confirmed in Vigo.[105]
In the Community of Madrid, 13 new positive cases of coronavirus increase to 89 in total and, after a forensic investigation, it is discovered that a 99-year-old woman died in Madrid on 3 March due to coronavirus, becoming the third confirmed death in Spain.[77][78]
In Navarra a third case was announced, making a total of 3 cases and not 4 as the media account, since one is hospitalised and accounted for in the Basque Country.[106]
In La Rioja 4 new positive cases of coronavirus brought the total to 10.[107] Subsequently, that same afternoon the figure was increased to 17 cases.[108]
In the Valencian Community the infected rises to 30 cases, with 8 new cases in Castellón, Elche, Orihuela, and Valencia.[109]
6 March
In Andalusia 5 new cases were reported, a 63-year-old woman in Malaga who had recently travelled to Italy, a 48-year-old woman in Baeza (Jaén) who has recently travelled to Italy, a 78-year-old man in Jaén, a 74-year-old man in Marbella admitted to the Costa del Sol Hospital and a 72-year-old man in Torremolinos who is admitted to the Vithas Xánit Internacional hospital in Malaga, totalling 22 active cases.[110]
In Aragon the second case of coronavirus was confirmed, an 87-year-old man admitted to the hospital at the Nuestra Señora de Gracia Hospital [es] in Zaragoza, who died a few hours later.[111][112] Another 8 were reported, rising the total to 9 active cases and 1 deceased.[113]
Asturias adds two new positive cases, related to the 48-year-old man with epidemiological link to the cluster of Torrejón de Ardoz (Madrid), amounting 7 active cases.[114]
In the Balearic Islands, one more case test positive, a male admitted to the Can Misses Hospital, making a total of 6 active cases and one recovered.[115]
In Basque Country 18 another positives, 13 new positives in Araba and 5 in Bizkaia, rising the total positives to 45.[116]
In Canary Islands a new case is reported, male in San Cristobal de la Laguna, Tenerife.[117] Another three Italian female tourist and another person in Tenerife tested positive, raising the total to 13 active cases and 3 recoverys, 9 of them in Tenerife and 4 in Gran Canaria.[118][119]
In Cantabria a new case, a "young person" who has been infected in the Basque Country, which currently records a total of 11 cases in the community.[120]
In Castile and León a new case in Burgos, a young woman, raise the total positives to 14.[121]
In Castilla–La Mancha 2 new cases in Guadalajara were reported, rising the total to 15, distributed in Guadalajara with ten confirmed cases, Toledo two, Albacete one, Almansa one and Tomelloso one.[122]
In Catalonia, 5 new positive cases of coronavirus, a 29-year-old woman who is in serious condition, a 19-year-old girl in Barcelona, a 57-year-old man in Cabrils (Barcelona), a 35-year-old woman in Barcelona and a 55-year-old woman in Barcelona who travelled to Milan, increase to 37 in total.[123]
In Galicia, the third and fourth positives in the community, a 15 years old child and a 47-year-old woman admitted to the Álvaro Cunqueiro de Vigo Hospital were confirmed in Vigo.[124][125]
In the Community of Madrid, 46 new positive cases of coronavirus in Valdemoro increase to 134 active cases and 4 deaths in total,[126] including a 76-year-old man with previous pathologies who died at the Infanta Elena Hospital of Valdemoro, the fourth confirmed death in Spain,[127][128] other 91 years old man dead at the Gregorio Marañón Hospital[129] and another 83 years old man deceased at the Severo Ochoa Hospital in Leganés.[130]
In La Rioja 21 new positive cases of coronavirus increase to 38 in total.[131][132]
A new positive case, a man admitted to the Universitary General Hospital of Alicante [es] who travelled to northern Italy and a 31-year-old person from Burriana discharged, giving a total of 30 active cases in the Valencian Community.[133][134]
The Spanish Episcopal Conference indicated that churches should remove the holy water from the pillars, avoid the gesture of shaking hands as a way of giving peace, and not kiss religious images, a typical gesture in Lent.[135]
The confirmed cases rose to 1,231 and the death toll to 30.[142]
In Barcelona, a kindergarten is closed amid a worker testing positive and three members of the City Council, including First Deputy Mayor Jaume Collboni self-isolating.[143]
President of the regional government of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, announced the cancellation of classes in the Autonomous community of Madrid at all educational levels due to the strong increase in cases in the region, a measure that would affect more than 1.5 million students.[147]
The regional government of La Rioja announced the suspension of classes for a period of two weeks.[149]
Javier Ortega Smith, General Secretary of the far-right Vox, third political force in Spanish parliament, tests positive after his party hosted a nationwide meeting with sympathizers on 8 March.[150]
After Ortega Smith tested positive for COVID-19, the Congress of Deputies and the Senate suspended its parliamentary activity for a period of a week and 52 Vox's lawmakers are asked to stay at home.[151]
All direct flights between Spanish and Italian airports suspended until 25 March.[152]
The Royal Household announced that the King's agenda of the week was suspended, except for an official visit to France the following day.[157]
The Conference of rectors of Madrid public universities (CRUMA) decided to delay the academic calendar, classes, exams and enrollments by two weeks.[158]
Spanish Government suspends events with more than one thousand attendants in Madrid, La Rioja and Vitoria.[159]
The Catalan government followed the steps of the Spanish government taken the previous day and suspended events with more than one thousand attendees in the region.[161]
A second national deputy of the far-right Vox that did not have any contact with the first one tests positive for COVID-19.[164]
The Assembly of Madrid, regional parliament of Madrid, suspended its activities for a period of 15 days, after Ortega Smith had tested positive.[165]
The Parliament of Andalusia, regional parliament of Andalusia, suspended its activities for a week after a deputy in the regional chamber from Vox was confirmed positive.[166]
A woman in El Vendrell becomes the fifth case in the province of Tarragona.[168]
Ana Vega, Vox's spokesperson in the Valencian Corts, announces she is positive in COVID-19, becoming the fourth elected politician of the far-right party infected.[169]
Minister of Health of the Basque government, Nekane Murga, announces the closure of all schools in the Álava, after 12 pupils were affected by COVID-19. The measure will affect more than 60,000 students.[170]
The 2020 Copa del Rey Final – the national football cup final due to be held in Seville on 18 April between two teams from the Basque Country – was postponed on the assumption that it would have been cancelled or played in an empty stadium, in the hope that a solution would be found in the coming weeks to allow supporters to attend the important event as normal. No rescheduled date for the fixture was proposed at that point.[172]
12 March
The Autonomous City of Melilla suspended the passage of Moroccan goods carriers to avoid crowds on its frontier.[173]
Spanish Minister of Equality, Irene Montero, tests positive for COVID-19, resulting in her and her husband, Second Deputy Prime Minister of SpainPablo Iglesias, being placed under quarantine, thus becoming the highest-ranking Spanish officials to be confirmed with the disease,[174] which prompted Moncloa palace to announce a coronavirus testing for the remaining members of the Spanish government.
First two cases reported in the island of La Palma.[175]
Carmen Leyte, Spanish Senator of the conservative People's Party in representation of Ourense tests positive for COVID-19, becoming the first member of the Senate to be affected by the disease.[191]
Catalan Government orders the confinement of the city of Igualada and the towns of Vilanova del Camí, Òdena and Santa Margarida de Montbui after Igualada Hospital became a contagion focus. This first measure in Spain will affect 70,000 people during 14 days.[193]
IBEX 35 falls 14% in its worst drop in history in a single day.[194]
Nationwide closure of schools after all Autonomous Communities order it. More than 10 million students (1 million from university and 9 million from schools) ordered to stay at home for a period of two weeks.[195]
Leader of Vox Santiago Abascal and spokesperson of Vox in the Congress Macarena Olona confirm they have both tested positive in COVID-19.[196]
Two cases of the virus are confirmed in the autonomous city of Melilla.[198]
The Liga de Fútbol Profesional announced that La Liga and the Segunda División (the top two leagues of football in Spain) had been suspended for at least 14 days.[199] This announcement followed Real Madrid CF's Champions League match against Manchester City F.C. being postponed, due to the Real Madrid players being put into quarantine. A Real Madrid basketball player had tested positive for the virus, and the Real Madrid football players were feared at risk as well due to sharing training facilities with their basketball team.[200]
13 March
Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez Almeida, ordered the closure of bars and terraces in the capital,[201] and announced that his government is prepared, if needed, to isolate the city.
Beatriz Jiménez Linuesa, deputy of the People's Party, confirms she has tested positive,[202] which makes a total of 7 deputies and 1 senator infected by the disease.
The Basque Country announced a declaration of sanitary emergency in the region, which allows population confinement.[203]
The president of the National court announced the suspension of all the ordinary functions of this Court for 15 days, keeping only the urgent proceedings and the court on duty.[204]
The Queen consort Letizia Ortiz suspended her agenda for some days and self-isolates. She tested negative for COVID-19 after meeting some days before with an infected Government Minister.[205]
The government of Murcia announced the confinement of more than 500,000 people in coastal municipalities.[207]
All provinces of Spain confirmed at least one positive after cases are confirmed in: Ávila, Cuenca, Huesca, Palencia and Soria, leaving the Autonomous City of Ceuta and the islands of El Hierro and Formentera as the only territories without cases reported.[208][209][210][211][212]
Prime Minister of SpainPedro Sánchez announced a declaration of the constitutional state of alarm in the nation for a period of 15 days, to become effective the following day after the approval of the Council of Ministers.[213]
Catalonia reported 190 new cases in the highest rise in cases in a day.[216]
Adriana Lastra, spokesperson of the PSOE, self-isolated after one of her collaborators tested positive, although she announced that she had no symptoms.[217]
From Saturday, Asturias, Catalonia, Cantabria, Galicia and Madrid closed all shops except those selling food and basic necessities.[218][219][220]
Vicepresident of Castile and León, Francisco Igea, announced the suspension of the Holy Week festivities in the region after talks with the regional administration.[221]
President of the Balearic Islands, Francina Armengol, asked the Prime Minister to suspend traffic between the mainland and the islands.[222]
The regional governments of Murcia and the Basque Country close all shops except those selling food and basic necessities.[229]
The Mayor of Madrid closes parks and public gardens.[230]
The Spanish government imposes a nationwide lockdown, bans all trips that are not force majeure and announces it may intervene in companies to guarantee supplies.[231][232]
Other provinces start to announce the cancellation of the Holy Week festivities.[233]
Begoña Gómez, Prime Minister's wife, tests positive for COVID-19.[234]
In response to the increasing number of cases of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic, the Spanish government declared a State of Alarm and announced the imposition of a national lockdown starting on 15 March as part of emergency measures to combat the coronavirus outbreak in the country.[240][241] All residents are mandated to remain in their normal residences except to purchase food and medicines, work or attend emergencies.[242][243] Lockdown restrictions also mandated the temporary closure of non-essential shops and businesses, including bars, restaurants, cafes, cinemas and commercial and retail businesses, while also announcing that the government will be able to take over private healthcare providers, if needed.[240][244] The announcement came following significant increases in the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Spain, increasing by 66% from 3,146 cases to 5,232 cases on 13 March 2020.[245] The "extraordinary decision", according to the PM Pedro Sánchez, is necessary as Spain deals with a "health, social and economic crisis".[240]
Basque elections, scheduled for 5 April, are delayed until the crisis is overcome, after an agreement between all the political parties represented in the Basque parliament.[247]
Galician elections, also scheduled for 5 April, were delayed until the crisis had been resolved.[249]
Minister of the Interior Grande-Marlaska announced the closing of Spanish frontiers to be in effect from 12 pm on 16 March, only authorising the entry of Spanish citizens and those that prove cause of force majeure or situation of need. The entry restrictions will have no effect on the transport of merchandise to guarantee the supply chain. It will not affect foreign diplomatic personnel either.[250]
17 March
The first death in the province of Tarragona is confirmed in Valls hospital, an 88-year-old woman from Badalona.[251]
The Selectividad (Spanish University Access Tests), scheduled in June for more than 300,000 students, were delayed until further notice.[252]
PM Pedro Sánchez announces a support package of more than 200 billion euros, almost 20% of the Spanish GDP, to cushion the impact of the coronavirus crisis. The Royal Decree approved by his government also includes a moratorium on the payment of mortgages for workers and self-employed in economic vulnerability and for those affected by COVID-19, as well as the streamlining of temporary dismissal files (known as ERTE), support for workers and companies affected by downturns, measures to guarantee the liquidity of companies and to promote research to achieve a vaccine.[254][255]
The number of infections reached 14,500 as the death toll reached more than 600.[257]
A donation from the Chinese government of more than 500,000 facemasks arrives in Spain.[258]
The Basque Minister of Education lengthened the closure of schools indefinitely.[259]
The Congress of Deputies met in a historic session as the Prime Minister reports on the management of the state of Alarm. In strict health security measures, only 5% of lawmakers were present.[260]
The KingFelipe VI addressed a message to the nation in a special speech for the second time in his reign and the sixth by a monarch in 40 years of democracy.[262][263]
The Canary Islands restrict flights between the peninsula and its islands. Air and sea connections to The Balearic Islands cease due to flight companies stopping all flights.[264]
First reported death of a healthcare worker in the country, a nurse from the Basque Country.[265]
Itziar Ituño, an actress known for her role as Inspector Raquel Murillo in the Spanish television series Money Heist, announced she had tested positive.[267]
Plácido Domingo, a well-known Spanish opera singer, announced he has tested positive for COVID-19.[274]
Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez announces that he will take the petition to extend the State of Alarm in the nation until 11 April to the Congress after consultations with regional presidents.[275][276]
The mother and the father-in-law of the Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez are hospitalised after being infected with coronavirus.[277]
The President of the Region of Murcia orders the cessation of all non-essential economic activities, a decision later revoked by the central government.[278]
23 March
Spain adds 4,000 cases in a single day, reaching 33,000 infected and 2,182 dead.[279]
José Folgado, Secretary of State for Budgets and Expenses between 1996 and 2000; for Economy, Energy and SMEs between 2000 and 2002; and for Energy, Industrial Development and SMEs since 2002 until 2004, Deputy of Congress in 2000 and from 2004 to 2008, for the People's Party, died aged 75 from COVID-19.
Italian actress and former Miss ItaliaLucia Bosè died aged 89 from pneumonia complicated by COVID-19.[284]
Spanish Army found elderly people abandoned and dead inside retirement homes, according to Defence Minister Margarita Robles. A criminal investigation was launched.[285]
24 March
The number of deaths had risen by 514 in the previous 24 hours (a record) with 2,696 now reported to have died.[286]
"Palacio del Hielo", an ice rink in Madrid, begins to be used as a morgue.[287]
5,400 medical professionals were confirmed to have tested positive for coronavirus and sent home, further straining the hospitals, where a lack of protective equipment has put workers at risk.[291]
Doctor Fernando Simón, the head of Spain's Centre for Health Emergencies and the public face of the government's response thanks to his daily briefings, is tested positive for the virus, being replaced by doctor María José Sierra.[297][298]
On 9 March, Fernando Simón, who is in charge of medical emergencies in Madrid, stated that "Spain will only have a handful of cases".[299] The same day, the Government of the Community of Madrid (the executive body of the region with the highest number of cases as of that date) approved extraordinary measures. These measures included the cancellation (to be enforced from 11 March onwards) of all in-person classes in the Autonomous community of Madrid at all educational levels for an initial period of 15 days, until 26 March, encouraging online lessons instead if possible.[300][301] On the same day the Basque Government announced the same measure would be enforced in the municipality of Vitoria-Gasteiz from 10 March onwards.[302]
Due to the pandemic, the Cabinet had to meet virtually for the first time, with the majority of ministers attending via videoconference.
On 10 March 2020 the Government of Spain decreed the immediate cancellation of all direct flights from Italy to Spain until 25 March.[303] On 10 March the Government of La Rioja approved the same measures as the Madrid region vis-à-vis the cancellation of classes, to be enforced from 11 March onwards too.[304] On 12 March, the Catalan autonomous government quarantined four Catalan municipalities—Igualada, Vilanova del Cami, Santa Margarida de Montbui and Odena.[305]
On 13 March 2020 the Government of the Community of Madrid decreed the shutting down of bars, restaurants and "non-alimentary" shops (only allowing the opening of supermarkets and chemist's shops).[306]
Also on 13 March, the Government of Spain announced the state of alarm across all the country would be decreed on the next day by the Council of Ministers. Thus, on 14 March the state of alarm for an initial period of 15 days was declared under the shelter of the Article 116.2 of the Spanish constitution.[307][308][309] The delay in implementing the state of emergency meant that some people in Madrid left for the regions, bringing the virus with them.[299] On 25 March, the parliament—with less than 50 members of 350 present—approved the government's request to extend of the state of alarm until 11 April.[310]
On 28 March, the prime minister ordered all non-essential workers to stay at home from 30 March to 9 April to bend the curve and contain the epidemic. Fernando Simón stated that ICUs were expected to be full by the end of this week or early the next week.[311] According to The Guardian, Spain's initially slow response to the coronavirus caused the epidemic to become severe even though it did not share a land border with Italy or other severely affected countries.[299] An analysis in Vox hypothesized that the minority government did not want to risk its hold on power by banning large gatherings early; the prime minister initially defended his decision to allow large gatherings to continue.[312]
Spanish Army deploys to enforce lockdown in Alcañiz, Aragón, 27 March
As of 23 March 2020, there were 240,245 police officers[313] and more than 2,500 military deployed across the country.[314] Some police made trips to quarantined populations and played music to lift spirits.[315] On 24 March, the government seized control of private nursing homes nationwide, and announced a judicial inquiry after troops found nursing home patients who had died of COVID-19 left dead in their beds.[316] In Madrid, hospitals refused transfers from nursing homes, and a skating rink was used to store dead bodies as the city morgue overflowed.[316]
The Spanish government had ordered 340,000 coronavirus test kits from Shenzhen Bioeasy Biotechnology, which claimed an 80 percent strike rate. However, the Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC) found that Bioeasy's test kit, which uses nose swabs, had an accuracy rate of less than 30 percent, and the city of Madrid stopped using them. The Chinese embassy claimed that the Bioeasy test kits had not been approved by China's National Medical Products Administration and said they were not included in the medical supplies sent by the Chinese government to Spain.[317][318][319] On 29 March, the Czech Republic donated 10,000 protective medical suits and 90 respirators, which were sent in a Czech Air Force plane.[320]
By 31 March, police had issued 100,000 citations and arrested 1,000 people for violating social distancing regulations. Fines can range from €100 to €30,000 for serious violations.[321] Drones are used for enforcement. Police also set up 30,000 roadblocks to stop people from traveling.[312]
The state of alarm will expire on 12 April and the government plans to ease lockdowns going forward, assuming that new infections decrease.[322]
The pandemic has also influenced Spain's fragile economy and finances, with economist Toni Roldán stating that the country will need €200bn in loans from the European Stability Mechanism.[299] Spanish leaders have called for "corona bonds", similar to the proposed but never implemented eurobonds, to help the country recover from the epidemic.[311][326] As of 28 March, Goldman Sachs was predicting a double-digit GDP decline for Spain.[327]
Low income neighborhoods in Barcelona have seven times the rate of infection of more affluent neighborhoods. Part of the reason is that essential workers, who have kept going to work despite the epidemic, are likely to work in low-skill jobs such as supermarkets or elder care. Also, many care workers are immigrants, who lack access to unemployment benefits and live in some of the lowest category housing. Homeless people are also at risk and the charities that help them were forced to cease operations because of the disease.[328]
Healthcare system
Police officer in Madrid is tested for coronavirus, 25 March
Temporary hospital IFEMA [es] in Madrid, opened 25 March
On 23 March, The Guardian reported that hospitals in the Madrid area were being overwhelmed by coronavirus patients.[329] Per capita, Spain has only a third as many hospital beds as Germany and Austria.[299] As of 28 March, the burden on intensive care units per confirmed case was 7.8, almost as high as Italy and far above any other European country.[330] As of 31 March, intensive care units in Cataluña, Madrid, Castilla–La Mancha, and Castilla y León are at or over 80% capacity, despite efforts to triple the number of beds available. Most of the patients are suffering from coronavirus.[331] However, El País reported that the number of patients in intensive care was decreasing and fewer patients were coming to the hospital with medical emergencies, especially in Madrid. According to Miquel Porta, this is an indication that government containment measures are having an effect.[332]Austerity measures, enacted by the previous government of Mariano Rajoy which cut billions of euros from health budgetss, were blamed by some experts for reducing the capacity of the healthcare system. Healthcare spending in Spain is 5.9 percent, below the EU average of 7.5 percent. Before the coronavirus epidemic, some doctors were unemployed or had emigrated to look for work. Now, retired healthcare workers are being called back to the job and medical students are being recruited to perform some tasks. The privatization of hospitals undergone during Rajoy's regime has undermined efforts to coordinate the response to the crisis.[328][333]
As of 28 March, at least 9,444 of the cases—about 14% of the total, double that of Italy—are in healthcare workers. One cause of infection is the lack of adequate protective gear, leading some healthcare workers to make their own improvised gear. According to Fernando Simón, only 8.8% of diagnosed healthcare workers require hospitalization, in contrast to 40% of other cases of the disease. Some doctors and nurses have nevertheless succumbed to the illness.[334][330]
Many nursing homes in Spain are understaffed because they are for-profit businesses and elderly Spaniards cannot necessarily afford sufficient care.[299] In some nursing homes, elderly victims were found abandoned in their beds by Spanish soldiers mounting emergency response. Defense minister Margarita Robles said that anyone guilty of neglect will be prosecuted.[329] By 23 March, a fifth of nursing homes in the Madrid area had reported cases of the virus. More than 65% of fatalities have occurred in those 80 or older, compared to 50% in Italy and only 15% in China.[335] On 28 March, children and young people who obeyed social distancing by staying at home were applauded by Spanish residents for doing their part to combat the epidemic.[336]
Political impact
On 8 March 2020, Vox held a political rally that was attended by over 9,000 people and later apologised after Santiago Abascal, its president, Javier Ortega Smith, its secretary general, and multiple members of its party in the Congress of Deputies tested positive for COVID-19.[337]
On 12 March 2020, the Congress of Deputies voted to suspend activity for a week after multiple members had tested positive for the virus.[337] When the Congress of Deputies approved the extension of the State of Alarm on 18 March, it was the first time that opposition parties Popular Party and Vox had supported the government in a vote while separatist parties, such as Catalan Republican Left, abstained from the vote.[338]
The response to the coronavirus has been complicated by the fact that Pedro Sánchez is leading PSOE (in coalition with Unidas Podemos) minority government which is counting on support from opposition parties to enact coronavirus measures, especially with regards to economic stimulus. So far, the cabinet is discussing proposals to offer zero-interest loans to tenants to pay rent so that smaller landlords who depend on rent income can stay afloat. PP leader Pablo Casado complained that the government was not keeping him informed of developments on the coronavirus. Ciudadanos leader Inés Arrimadas said that she supports the government's actions.[338] Vox has called for the prime minister's resignation.[322]
On 29 February 2020, a woman who had arrived in Ecuador on 14 February from Spain tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and became the first case of coronavirus in the country. Days later she felt discomfort and fever, so she was hospitalised and underwent various tests. The person, 70 years old and with previous illnesses, was isolated and admitted “in intensive care”. According to Deputy Minister Julio López, her status was critical and her forecast was reserved.[341] On 13 March 2020, the first death (the first Ecuadorian infection case) was reported by the Minister of Public Health of Ecuador, Catalina Andramuño, during a press conference in Guayaquil.[342]
On 6 March, Peruvian Ministry of Health and President confirmed the first case in the country from a 25-year-old man who visited Spain, France and Czech Republic.[343]
On 8 March, Portugal confirmed a case originating from Spain.[344] On 10 March, a further case was detected and the following day (11 March) another three cases.[345][346]
On 10 March, a 40-year-old woman returning from Madrid, Spain was confirmed the first case in Panama.[347]
On 10, March, Honduras confirmed two cases of Coronavirus the first patient or patient 0 was a pregnant women who came from Spain on 4 March but was confirmed on the early morning of 10 March .[348]
On 13 March, Venezuelan Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez confirmed two cases of the virus in the state of Miranda.[349][350] Rodríguez asked all the passengers of the 5 and 8 March Iberia 6673 flight to immediately enter into a mandatory preventive quarantine since the two cases were from this flight.[351]
On 14 March it was reported that a woman coming from the Spanish city of Móstoles became the first case in Equatorial Guinea.[352]
On 17 March, a 47-year-old male Spanish national doing business in Macau tested positive; he took the SU2501 flight from Madrid to Moscow on 15 March, and then the SU204 flight from Moscow to Beijing. On 16 March, he took the NX001 flight from Beijing to Macau, arriving at Macau Airport at 8:00 pm of the same day.[353]
negative numbers denote corrections due to cases that were subsequently declared negative
official reports starting from 2020-03-17 refer to data consolidated at 9pm the day before the report.
Charts based on daily reports
Charts based on daily reports from the Spanish Ministry of Health on confirmed cases of COVID-19.[455] Dates correspond to report dates; reports starting from 2020-03-17 refer to numbers consolidated the night before at 9pm.
Cases per autonomous community, for the 10 communities with most cases
Number of cases on a logarithmic scale
Number of cases (blue) and number of deaths (red) on a logarithmic scale.