Council of Ministers

Government confirms that there are no new cases of Ebola in Spain

2014.10.17

  • x: opens new window
  • Whatsapp: opens new window
  • Linkedin: opens new window
  • Send: opens new window

Moncloa Palace, Madrid

The Council of Ministers analysed the situation of Ebola in Spain, following the creation of the Special Committee for overseeing the virus and the actions being taken to eradicate it.

The Vice-President of the Government, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, underlined that the healthcare worker affected, Teresa Romero, is in a stable condition, and has shown slight improvement. She also confirmed that each of the patients taken into hospital on Thursday, both in Madrid and in the Canary Islands, has tested negative in the first analyses, although we must now wait for the results of the second round of tests, after 72 hours. The rest of the people are being monitored, either at the Carlos III Hospital or in their homes, as a result of their contact with Teresa Romero, but have not presented any symptoms.

When asked about whether Spain will authorise the United States and the United Nations to use the military bases in Morón de la Frontera (Seville) and Rota (Cadiz) and the airport in Gran Canaria for the operations which will be carried out at an international level to eradicate the Ebola epidemic in Africa, the Vice-President of the Government responded that, "Spain is a supportive country that has provided aid and shown solidarity on many occasions on many issues. We will also do so in this case, with the due guarantees that must be analysed on a case-by-case basis".

In this regard, she recalled that the Minister for Defence, Pedro Morenés, was due to meet with his counterpart in the United States on Friday, to tackle these issues.

Pool MoncloaAccording to the Vice-President of the Government, all countries need to work together to combat the Ebola crisis, each one may provide a series of aid or assistance and "Spain will do so", always taking into clear account the events surrounding the request, how this aid will be given and with all the due guarantees for the health of the citizens. "What is important is to look at and analyse each instance on a case-by-case basis", she added.

Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría highlighted that the Minister for Health, Ana Mato, and indeed the whole government is working very hard to try to resolve the initial problem of the situation of how the nursing assistant Teresa Romero contracted the disease and "organise a suitable response both in Spain and in the rest of the world to a healthcare crisis that requires a high degree of collaboration from all concerned".
The Vice-President of the Government also acknowledged the work of the healthcare personnel and the laboratory technicians. "They are carrying out their work very well".

Basic Vocational Training

Pool MoncloaThe Council of Ministers agreed to distribute almost 42 million euros to the regional governments to implement the new Basic Vocational Training qualifications.

The Vice-President of the Government explained that "through these basic VT programmes, the aim is to offer attractive training at the end of compulsory education that can lead to a place in the job market or to further VT studies".

On another note, the government approved a Royal Decree developing the characteristics of the training course on the implementation of the management duties at public education centres. "We are trying to improve the training of the management teams, since under the Constitutional Law on Improving Educational Quality, they are given greater decision-making powers regarding the organisation and running of these centres. The figure of the headmaster is enhanced through greater powers and responsibilities in designing the centre's educational plan".

General State Administration telecommunications

Pool MoncloaThe Council of Ministers authorised a telecommunications services contract for the General State Administration as a whole (Spanish acronym: AGE), to be put out to tender, which constitutes the first phase of the process of consolidating these services. This measure will result in an estimated saving of 40 million euros, in other words, 15% lower expenditure than at present.

The Vice-President of the Government highlighted that the aim of the measure is "to establish a comprehensive and modern telecommunications network that guarantees quality communications between the various departmental offices and employees of the Central Government".

In this regard, she recalled that there are presently three existing levels of communication in the public sector: a central network, a provincial network and an international network. "What we are seeking through this contract is a single network", she stressed.

Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría explained that the network contracted will be shared by 12 ministerial departments and 52 public bodies. It will provide a service to more than 2,800 offices throughout the country and around 470 offices located in 125 countries with close on 125,000 internal users.

The ministerial departments, management centres, public sector bodies and organisations will join the system on a progressive basis as and when their contract telecommunications contracts expire.

Current affairs

Pool MoncloaThe Vice-President of the Government, in response to questions on the latest steps taken by the Regional Government of Catalonia to hold a referendum on 9 November, underlined that "the referendum on self-determination planned by the President of the Regional Government of Catalonia cannot and will not take place".

Hence, she added, "the strength of our democracy will remain fully accredited through its manifestation in the rule of law", and, moreover, "it clearly shows that when someone strays from the path of respect for the law, they end up having to acknowledge that they cannot continue down that path".

Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría confirmed that, on this issue, the government will maintain the same "strength" and "calm" as it has to date to meet its two-fold obligation of, "on the one hand, guaranteeing that the law is upheld and, on the other, maintaining open dialogue to the benefit of our citizens in each autonomous region including, in this case, Catalonia".

As regards the case of the 'opaque cards' at Caja Madrid, the Vice-President of the Government stressed that "this is a practice which has been all too common in Spain for many years, but which has only come to light now, thus clearly showing that the transparency and control mechanisms were necessary", she declared.

The current government has put these mechanisms in place, which has allowed for events like these to come to light, "which outrage everyone in general", regarding which "it will fall to the courts to take a decision", commented Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría. In her opinion, it is necessary to extend transparency to all aspects of public and social life.