Coronavirus: Spain declares a state of alert and the closure of all retail stores

Spain, on alert. The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, announced the state of alert last Friday and implemented on Saturday after the Council of Ministers' approval. “We are only in the first phase of the fight against the virus. Very hard weeks await us,” Sánchez said. 

  

In this situation, which will last for the next fifteen days, the Government centralizes decisions and can decree the limitation of the movement of people, occupy industries or factories or rationalize consumption. In addition, this measure also penalizes those citizens who do not comply with the regulations. 

  

Prior to the appearance of Sánchez, the community of Madrid and Catalonia had already decreed the closure of all stores except food stores and pharmacies as of this Saturday, with the aim of halting the pandemic. 

  

In parallel, last friday, Inditex announced the temporary closure of some of its stores across three regions in Spain. As for Tendam, owner of Cortefiel, Springfield and Women’secret also revealed that it would carry out the same measure starting Saturday.

  

Another Spanish giant who took action in regard to the situation is Desigual. The company has gone one step further and closed all its stores in the Spanish market since this afternoon, as well as its stores in Portugal from Monday. 

  

The measure taken by the Spanish government joins that of Italy, the European country most affected by the crisis and where all businesses have closed this week.