Press briefing by President of the Government on coronavirus crisis

PEDRO SÁNCHEZ, President of the Government.

I appear before you once again with a duty to inform you on the progress of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, a week after the announcement of the state of emergency. In these last seven days, we have seen how all countries around the world, one-by-one, have fallen victim to the pandemic. We have seen how the worst forecasts have become a reality and how everyone is moving towards truly catastrophic scenarios. We have seen how all governments, without exception, have adopted extreme measures to protect public health and safeguard their economies.

Our country is also suffering from the worst health emergency in the last century. A catastrophe that humanity wasn't prepared for, despite the warnings of such epidemics in recent decades as Ebola and SARS.

Only seven days have gone but they have changed us.

Our way of valuing what is important has changed: life, health, affective ties, learning to disregard what is not important. We view every life close to us as a life under threat and that reminds us of the dimension of their importance.

To that end, I wish to express my sincere condolences to those families that have lost their loved ones in recent days, and who have suffered this wrench without being consoled by having that final contact and being able to saying goodbye. I also wish to pass on to those who are infected and their families the encouragement and support of Spanish society.

These last seven days have also changed our way of looking at public assets, our healthcare professionals of course, to whom I express our profound gratitude, but also to the armed forces and the State law enforcement officers, who we now see as an irreplaceable shield and not as a superfluous expense.

These last seven days have changed the way we view our neighbours to whom we have a closer attachment as they share our fears and yearnings from their balconies at eight in the afternoon and not as strangers whom we barely greet.

These last seven days have changed the way we view those who serve us in shops, those who produce the goods we consume from distant locations, those who maintain the communications that keep us connected, those who supply the energy that lights our homes.

And these last seven days have also changed the way we view the enemy, who we now know is even more harmful. We are fighting an enemy that we will defeat and that we are getting to know better. And as we get to know this virus better, the way we fight it will change to become more effective.

As you are aware, COVID-19 is an infection that spreads with unprecedented ease and speed, as has been acknowledged by the World Health Organization.

Spain has been following the recommendations of international health experts, from the World Health Organization and also from the extraordinary body that is the Health Warning and Emergency Coordination Centre, whose professionalism, dedication and commitment we are always grateful for, together with those under whose auspices we fall, which include European organisations. We have been applying the strategy defined by the World Health Organization to combat the virus, which consists of trying to contain and halt its spread with one simple yet complicated goal, which we must achieve, which is to gain time. The necessary time so that science can find effective treatments and develop vaccinations that eradicate the virus.

This strategy set by the World Health Organization has been employed in Spain in accordance with the opinions issued by experts in several stages. At all times we have tried to apply measures that are effective from a health perspective, and with the least possible consequences on our social lives and on economic and business activity. This balance, between the health efficacy of social distancing, on the one hand, and the maintenance of economic activity and the protection of individual rights, on the other hand, that our country has strived so hard to attain, has set the tone, believe me, for the adoption of the measures that the Government of Spain has gradually taken.

The first contention phase included essentially preventive measures to monitor those infected and make hygiene recommendations.

We then had a strengthened contention phase which included stopping certain social activities such as the education of our children and restrictions on mass gatherings.

As you know, seven days ago the rate of expansion of the infection made it necessary to step up to a new mitigation phase, in line with that which was set by the main European institutions throughout the continent, to which end it was necessary to decree, for the first time ever at this level in the history of our democracy, a state of emergency, which came into force a week ago.

I stress that the main goal of this strategy is to stop the rapid spread of this virus that compromises the healthcare of those who are sick and require to be taken into hospital and/or intensive care. We need to gain time to better prepare our health system and achieve scientific results.

The COVID-19 virus has several specific features; the first is that its spread is more widespread than normal flu; the second is that it is also more lethal than common flu.

What COVID-19 does have in common with flu is that it very seriously affects the elderly and those who have underlying conditions. Hence, I will never tire of saying that these are the groups that must look after themselves the most, those who must protect themselves the most and what their families must do is protect them even more, if indeed possible.

Of course the strategy that Spain, and most European countries, has been following is not the only one possible. There have been other important countries that initially announced that they would not halt the spread of the virus to thus immunise people, although they might have a very high price to pay in terms of human lives, but as you know, most countries that started down this path have then been forced to abandon it after acknowledging its unsustainability due to the high cost in terms of human life of this strategy.

The change in approach of these countries is simply the expression of the same general rule, which I would like to underscore and also remind you that lines of action need to change when they are proven to not be effective.

Our country, Spain, has been following, as I said, the strategy backed by the World Health Organization on which there is a general consensus from the scientific community. And as part of that strategy we have adopted, believe me, the most drastic and strictest measures in Europe and in the world with the declaration of the state of emergency and also in some of the additional measures we have announced in the last seven days and we are well aware of the social impact on the rights and liberties of the citizens of our country as a whole.

What is the current situation? You are aware of the figures; these are regularly being conveyed by the Scientific Committee, the Technical Committee, to whom I am grateful for their exemplary conduct and dedication. The current situation is that Spain, unfortunately, is one of the worst affected countries in Europe and in the world. At this time there are close to 25,000 recorded cases, and unfortunately 1,326 of our compatriots have died from the COVID-19 pandemic. We also have 1,612 fellow countrymen in intensive care but have reached the figure, which is the saving grace, of 2,640 people who have recovered. Regrettably the number of people infected and the number of people who will die will rise in the next few days. I have said this in other press briefings, we are facing a very critical time and the next few days will be very tough, and we have to prepare ourselves for this both psychologically and emotionally.

We need to be very strong at the end of next week, very strong indeed. The risk of contagion abounds, hence the general lockdown, as determined and decreed by the Government of Spain, but the damage is particularly concentrated in certain hot spots, which is where we need to make the greatest efforts.

We have managed to ensure that the impact of the infection is not uniform throughout the country. Both in terms of the number of people infected and the number in intensive care and in the number of deaths, the regions that are suffering the effects of the pandemic the most are, above all and regrettably, the Region of Madrid, and to a lesser extent, Catalonia and the Basque Country.

In terms of the spread of the pandemic we can also perceive that it is in the Region of Madrid where the disease has spread the fastest and hence where the greatest tensions exist to attend to the avalanche that our healthcare professionals, hospitals and the health system in general have to cope with.

As well as the impact that the pandemic has had on the health and the lives of people, it has also affected the social and economic life of our country.

But the impact of the pandemic is not limited to health. The social reaction to the health emergency and the measures to prevent the spread has caused an unprecedented economic, employment and financial blow, which you are suffering at home. To that end, various staggered economic measures, which have been announced, have been adopted.

These measures are aimed at allocating resources to the health authorities - that is the first line where we must allocate resources to those who are combating the virus on the front line - to provide a social and economic network that particularly shields those groups that are most vulnerable socially, and guarantee such essential supplies as electricity, water, communications, guaranteeing housing and a minimum level of income. I repeat, they need, during this temporary crisis as a result of COVID-19, the measures that we are taking as a result of the decree on the state of emergency to alleviate the suffering in many homes.

We have also taken measures, as I have mentioned in some other briefings, to protect the jobs of workers, of the self-employed, of the social economy to safeguard, as far as possible, the continuity of companies by freeing up resources that are unprecedented in our democratic history.

In short, we are working to try and anticipate new problems and, at any event, we are paying close heed to the new problems that are emerging each day and responding to these problems with resolve and as quickly as possible. I repeat; we will do whatever we need to, whenever and wherever we need to.

Each day, as the hours go by, whether day or night, I can assure you that we are in touch with the delegate authorities; we are closely monitoring each and every one of the decisions and tasks at hand; and we are assessing each instruction and operation implemented, and receiving information from all State authorities and institutions.

Similarly, we are ensuing that the Spanish people have access to all the information and we are verifying that official and reliable information is being offered at all times to the public in a transparent and orderly fashion. All of this allows me to stress to you that we should all feel very proud of our public services, of our public servants, of each and every one of them. Proud of each person that performs their duties for the public authorities and institutions. Proud of each and every civil servant, the public staff at each department and unit that are working tirelessly, these committed professionals at the service of the State, and consequently of all of Spanish society.

The vast majority of Spanish society, and I would like to underline this, and the four authorities also said this - the Minister for Health, the Minister for Home Affairs, the Minister for Transport and Mobility, and the Minister for Defence - is reacting with tremendous responsibility, discipline and a desire for victory.

In the week that has gone by since the declaration of the state of emergency, the effects on social habits have been felt, which have translated into extraordinary changes by those people who have adhered to the rules, and I wish to once again underline the exemplary way in which the rules on confinement issued have been followed. To quote a few numbers:

The reduction in travel for example. The consumption of hydrocarbons has dropped dramatically as a result of the drastic reduction in travel. Kerosene is the fuel to record the largest drop which, as you know, is used for planes, and has fallen by around 80%.

Travel has fallen in line with what people have been asked to act. Commuter traffic stands at around one seventh of an ordinary day. Passenger transport by road is 11 times lower than normal, and passenger numbers for medium- and long-distance rail travel is 50 times lower than normal.

Hence, which do I mean by this? Well, that we have proof of how the response by the public has been exemplary in avoiding unnecessary trips, in line with the provisions of the Royal Decree on the state of emergency.

The general order given to stay at home has been followed by an overwhelming majority of Spanish men and women. This has translated into a sharp fall in energy consumption, for example in big cities like Madrid and Barcelona. This fall reflects, above all, the drop in consumption as a result of the abrupt halt in economic activity especially since, for example, household consumption has obviously risen considerably.

To give you an idea of this, Internet use has increased exponentially, which reflects both the expansion of all forms of work from home, and its use for all forms of remote entertainment, which are being used by the Spanish people in their homes. These increases are as high as 80% in traffic. Last Monday, Spain was the second highest country in the European Union, behind only Germany, with the most Internet data traffic in absolute figures. And it was fifth in the world, behind only the United States (17% of global traffic), India (14%), the United Kingdom (8%) and Germany (6%).

So allow me on this point to express, in the midst of the times of uncertainty that we live in, my satisfaction at the more than correct functioning of our essential services. Despite Spain standing in recent days in fifth place in the world in Internet data traffic, with 4% of the world's total, our networks have provided a more than satisfactory response. Bear in mind that Spain has more kilometres of fibre optic cable rolled out than the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy put together. And the same can be said of our energy supplies, which have maintained what I would call an outstanding level of efficiency.

The order given to only open those establishments allowed to open to the public has been followed, and they have provided a service efficiently and with all due health and hygiene precautions. And in some days, the increase in the consumption of food products, to give you an idea, has hit highs of 180% compared with normal. But despite this, the supply has been maintained, in general, without running out of stock. Online channels have grown by more than 11% in this period and the average online order has also increased by 17%, which means people are avoiding travelling and gathering in public in shops, as the public authorities have asked from the Spanish people.

Food shops have adopted radical measures to avoid infection, for example, by limiting the number of people, maintaining distances between people, reorganising timetables, limiting capacity, restricting shopping to one person per family and the distance of one metre between people, as well as stepping up the health protection of workers.

Each level of society, from the public authorities to business owners, workers and the general public, is showing initiative in following the general line set by the health authorities. We are witnessing a very positive and encouraging social response; if there is something positive we can take away from this COVID-19 crisis, it is that this calamity is bringing out the best in us.

As regards the actions of the State law enforcement agencies and the armed forces, I would like to pay them the respect they deserve.

To start with, we should note that the reduction in social life has brought with it a decline in the number of criminal offences by more than 50%. And I feel that this figure is very significant because it shows the high degree of social discipline achieved. The National Police and the Guardia Civil have carried out thousands of patrols, as you will have seen, in the streets and on the highways, with many thousands of controls on transport routes, thousands of vehicles searched, as you will have seen on the news and in the media, who I wish to thank again for the tremendous job they are doing, which I have been told has been done with a smaller workforce as a result of coronavirus infections that have hit many media professionals.

And together with the State law enforcement agencies and the armed forces, I also want to pay tribute to the regional and local police forces, which we so often forget, but which are fundamental in guaranteeing our co-existence and public order at these critical times.

All of them are performing commendable work in terms of news and control. Specifically, there have been more than 31,000 offences reported and more than 334 fines imposed related to the state of emergency.

Coordination at an operational level has been absolute and I would say that this empathy can be best seen at an emotional level, as we have seen in the last few hours. We have seen this in the tribute paid at the barracks in Sansomendi by Ertzaintza [regional police force of Basque Country] patrols paying tribute to the 38-year old Guardia Civil officer, Francisco Javier, the second officer from this force to die as a result of the coronavirus infection. These images convey to us some of the emotion and unity that has been evident on all fronts in this last week.

For their part, the armed forces are playing an important role in 55 cities with a total of 2,640 servicemen supporting different social services, through the installation of temporary infrastructures, as we have seen through the media, and carrying out tasks to discover needs, distribute food, and disinfect stations, airports, courthouses, hospitals and residential care homes for the elderly.

In addition, they have also taken on tasks to provide healthcare support, particularly through the installation, as we have seen in the media, of a field hospital at the IFEMA trade fair site in Madrid, with some 5,500 beds.

And I can also announce to you that the armed forces will participate, as from tomorrow, in disinfecting several residential homes for the elderly in the Region of Madrid.

In several prior appearances, I stressed that the Government of Spain will free up all the State's resources to combat this emergency, and we are doing that. But I also said that this was a battle that could only be won with the concerted action of the whole community, of the whole country, of each and every one of us.

The public response has been overwhelming. From offers of support for the elderly to distance teaching initiatives, from suggestions for activities for children, to psychological support, all absolutely selflessly.

The cultural offer made available by our industries and professional includes both the media, who have opened up their content, and also publishers and audio-visual platforms, and I would like to thank them for their generosity. And our film-makers have mobilised to provide company and entertainment.

The response from the business community has also been generous and broad. Food, telecommunications, textiles, drinks, energy, all sectors have mucked in to help make the situation easier for both our young and our elderly people, or by changing their production lines to make healthcare protective equipment or to support health professionals.

I would also like to mention the lack of discipline and social confusion.

Just look, the number of minor offences detected, as I mentioned, is very low as a percentage of the overall population. In general, we believe that this reflects the response from a supportive and responsible society.

But there are other types of lack of discipline that I would like to mention. In the midst of the uncertainty the public is experiencing, it is understandable that anyone would feel this uncertainty and fear. But there are two ways to channel this emotion; we don't need to feel guilty or insecure because we feel this fear or uncertainty, that's normal. But there are two ways to channel this emotion.

One is a rational fear shown by those who behave prudently, who satisfy their need for information and silence uncertainty by turning to reliable, evidenced sources and who take all due precautions as recommended to avoid contagion and to treat it according to the rules established, that is through reliable communication channels so that between us all and individually we can defeat this virus.

But there is another type of pathological fear that seeks impossible individual solutions, by those who break the rules on confinement, who feed on lies and fake news that generates alarm and panic, who hoard goods and products. This type of behaviour is what we should all be combating and that we should all isolate and avoid, because it spreads at the same speed as the virus and is also harmful in our collective battle against the pandemic.

There are those who pass on these lies and fake news, it is true, but there are many more people who are doing the same with these lies as with the virus - they are breaking the chain of transmission. And so I would like to thank them for this civic-minded spirit. Not spreading unreliable news is a way of defeating the virus. And I would like our young people, the most proficient in Whatsapp and the social media, to check the information before passing it on to all their friends. Because if we don't break this chain we are causing alarm and spreading fake news that makes us weaker in fighting the coronavirus.

As regards the exceptional health measures and support for health workers, which is something fundamental that is widespread in the media; well, the Government of Spain feels this and hence is hiring additional staff. In addition to the more than 350,000 healthcare professionals in Spain, the government has also made 52,393 healthcare professionals available to the regional health authorities, which includes 7,633 retired doctors and nurses, and students in the final year of medicine and nursing.

In terms of the acquisition of material, which I am aware is one of the urgent needs we have, like every other country in the world, we must take into account that we are talking about the largest mobilisation of health resources in our history. And we will continue to increase this. Our people, in all regions, can feel safe.

Through the unity of action we will beat this virus together.

In this regard, the Government of Spain, together with the regional governments, has been acquiring materials in this market for the last two months now, and most continue to do so, and no regional government can say that there is any obstacle, since the start of the pandemic, since the state of emergency was decreed, preventing them from doing this. The rapid tests have been purchased and will now be used, which is very important. These are reliable and certified tests. This last point is very important - their certification - because they must have all due health guarantees. We have already purchased 640,000 units and this will soon rise to 1 million.

In the coming hours we will also start distributing to all the regional health authorities 500,000 surgical protection masks for professionals and 800,000 for patients. That is a total of 1.3 million face masks. Over the weekend, we will gradually continue delivering these.

In addition, you have the material that the Ministry of Health has made available to the regional governments, of more than 1.5 million face masks through procurement and various donations, which have been distributed based on the principles of equality and fairness of the National Health System.

Logistical procedures have been speeded up to the maximum. We have organised for all the material needed to be made available each week on a stable basis.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Health, together with the Ministry of Industry, and this is another announcement that I would like to make, is organising national production to guarantee the supply of all the materials needed through Spanish manufacturing. We are working against the clock to guarantee the supply of material, both to patients and to those on the frontline of our National Health System.

In recent days, leaders of our peer countries have said that this is the worst situation our societies have seen since World War II and they are probably right. In our country, it is true, only the very elderly, who suffered the hardships of the Spanish Civil War and the post-war period, can remember harder collective situations than the present. Aside from them, the rest of the generations that live in Spain today have never in our lives had to face something so tough, so difficult.

These circumstances are testing us all not just as a society, but also individually. It is in adversity that we find out who we truly are. When all this blows over, which it will soon and we look back, we will know whether we were generous and brave or whether we were beaten down by adversity. Whether we just complain about our bad luck or whether we were those who helped win the battle against the virus. There are many front lines to this battle.

Clearly the public authorities are on the frontline. We are the authorities that have the most resources and greatest responsibility, and we must now focus on solutions. It is true that, as sometimes happens in our lives, when faced with difficulties, we tend to see clearly and starkly the faults that we hadn't previously noticed.

This lucidity is very good, but it should not serve to paralyse us or to beat us down; much less divide us and oppose us with reproaches because we now must stand up to defeat this virus, which is our common enemy and we must now urgently save lives, jobs and companies.

After defeating the virus, which I insist will come soon, we need to reflect and look at the changes we need to protect the general public. But at this time it is our duty to remain united, starting with public leaders and representatives. No-one in my government will enter into controversy with any other public authority, party or political adversary, because our only enemy, our true enemy, the common enemy is the virus. We won't be defeated by fear. 47 million Spaniards can trust in us to defeat it.

If anyone tries to put some distance from the Government of Spain, we will approach them with more willing; if someone evades their responsibility, we will make an effort to take this on, even if it does not fall within our jurisdiction; if anyone seeks controversy, the Spanish people should have no doubts that we will seek reconciliation with them.

In league at the front line with our public authorities, and this is the toughest place at this time, is the health front. The problem, as we now know, and as we can see in the media and are told by the professionals, is not the gravity of the disease but the number of people we must help. We can save many people with sufficient resources, but this becomes more difficult if the avalanche of people collapses the system.

We know this from the reports, but also from the statements of the health workers we see in the media that the situation they face every day, every hour, every minute of the day, is harrowing, above all in certain places. We had no doubts, everyone in Spain knew that the quality of our healthcare workers was very high but we now know exactly what they are made of. They are demonstrating their intelligence, their bravery, their strength, their solidarity and their commitment. They always rise to the challenge, a challenge which is now enormous, and we are all grateful.

There is another key frontline, and victory on this frontline will condition, to a great extent, victory on all the others, which is our confinement at home. If we reduce the number of people infected, we will help avoid the hospitals collapsing and be able to cure a large number of people. And the frontline of being on lockdown at home is also very tough; I am well aware that what we are asking from Spanish society is very tough. It has now been a week, and we are heading into the second week, when we will also see what we are made of. And there are many things we can do there individually, and where neither the State nor any State authority can reach. Because no-one can replace a phone call from a friend to alleviate the situation of someone living alone, or who is ill, or help someone who needs advice or assistance. There are many ways to look after oneself and to look after others, in short, to resist.

Each new infection we avoid breaks the chain of the spread of this virus, a chain that generally ends up with someone elderly in hospital. If we avoid this spread, as well as protecting the health of this person, we are freeing up hospital beds for other people who need them. If we avoid contagion, we gain time to reactivate our economy as quickly as possible; if we avoid contagion, we gain time to revitalise our economy and help life return to normal.

It is said that we are humans for as long as we breathe. If we stay at home we will ensure that many people we love carry on breathing. That is the sense of confinement, and we all have something to do to help maintain this.

These last seven days have changed us. And the tough weeks to come will change us even more. That is inevitable. It is down to us to make sure we change for the better; that we come out of this test stronger, wiser and more united. I am sure that when this is over, which it soon will be, many people will be surprised to discover what they were made of. They will see to what extent they were generous, strong and brave to levels they never imagined they were capable of. But what is true is that we have these characteristics; Spanish society is generous and brave, we have abounding energy to fight this war against the virus and the health, social and economic consequences that this war against the virus entails.

I said this the other day in the headquarters of national sovereignty - in the Lower House of Parliament - and I will repeat it now; unfortunately the worst is still to come; we have some very tough days ahead of us. We still have to withstand the impact of the harshest, more harmful wave, which will stretch our material and moral capabilities to the limits. And also our mettle as a society.

I am sure that each of us will do what we know best, and is in our hands, to save all the lives possible, and to shorten the life of this exceptional situation.

And that for most people entails staying at home, in order not to spread this disease to others with less capacity to withstand it.

It is not fear that keeps us locked in our houses but courage.

The wave of sick people is about to begin. The people of Spain must remain united at home while their country protects them, looks after them and combats this wave, with tenacity, for all of them. To defeat the virus. To bring it to its knees, to flatten out the upward curve. With a sense of victory.

It has fallen to us to live through something that practically no-one in our society remembers situations we believed were in the past. Many compatriots have not even been able to say goodbye to their loves ones. This feeling of pain we take on-board as our own.

We will remember them forever. Each and every one of them. They are a part of our community and all the people in Spain sympathise with them and their families.

But despite this tough situation we are going though, we are a society stronger than ever before in our history, let's remember that, better organised, with more resources, with more material and scientific capacity to take on this situation. We are also a more united society; we are a community. And unity is now our best weapon against this virus and its consequences.

In the coming weeks let's maintain and strengthen this union; I would ask this of you. Let's all help each other; let everyone contribute with whatever strengths they have, because all our strengths are necessary to defeat this virus as soon as possible. Because we will only defeat this with a united front.

Q: "El País": Why are Italy and Spain at the epicentre of coronavirus in the world at this time? Will you stop all production except basic goods if the spread is not halted? It took China two months to stop its spread with much more restrictive measures, so how long will it take Spain with its measures?

President of the Government: Well those are several questions from the daily El País, and of course I will answer all three. Firstly, clearly Italy and Spain, like many other nations, are suffering from the ravages of the coronavirus. But not just Italy and Spain; you have China, Iran, the United States, Germany and France… we are seeing many countries that are suffering from this onslaught, this wave of disease, but probably Spain, as we are being told by the scientists, is at the forefront precisely because it is, let's say, recording the increase in those affected that has unfortunately led us, together with other countries, to head up the total number affected. So, there is no explanation for why it is Italy and Spain; there are also other countries which, together with us are unfortunately also suffering from the battering of the coronavirus at this time, which will obviously also hit many other countries, as we are unfortunately already seeing in many other latitudes.

As regards the lockdown measures, let's see, what have we been told by the World Health Organization? The World Health Organization has told us that we must tackle this pandemic based on three fundamental pillars. The first must be isolation measures, which have shown to be highly effective in halting the spread of the disease and the extension of the pandemic. Secondly, look at the socio-economic measures to take in response to the impact of the disease, the measures to defend public health by putting the country on lockdown; and thirdly, respect for human rights. Spain, believe me, has imposed the toughest lockdown measures anywhere in Europe, or in the world. Some of the toughest in the world, but the toughest in Europe. Today, for example, I read, to give you an idea, that Italy has just decreed that Italians may now not move from their primary residence to a second home. We already approved that a week ago in the decree on the state of emergency, as the people of Spain are well aware. When you say, "these lockdown measures should be stepped up", what does that mean? It means, for example, banning people from going out into the street to buy bread. It means, for example, that a mother cannot go out for a walk in the street with her autistic child. I believe it is very important for us to also be aware of the tremendous number of cases that exist in our society, because this is a complex society that defends individual rights and freedoms, as well as collective rights and knows how to weigh things up and balance them. We clearly do, just look at the measures we are taking to isolate people; you have the figures, for example, the number of journeys people make, or energy consumption, the drop in the number of services, and how this has jumped exponentially in levels at home, how the Spanish people are complying with the lockdown and isolation measures imposed by the Government of Spain.

Hence, we are talking about very strict and tough measures that are a true challenge, also for families as a whole at home, who I feel we obviously shouldn't underestimate and if we compare Spain with other countries in Europe and around the world, I can safely say that we are at the forefront in terms of many confinement measures. It is also very important to explain that, to beat this virus, we not only have the isolation and confinement measures, which are undoubtedly very important and decisive, and for that I am very grateful for the exemplary way people have complied with these lockdown measures. But there is also something very important that science is telling us, that the experts are telling us, and which the Government of Spain is doing, which is increasing the number of tests, because it is vital to know exactly how many people are infected by the virus in our country, because if we know that and extend the tests, those who are positive can be isolated, and consequently, they will no longer be another cog in the chain of the spread of the virus. To give you an idea, we have distributed since the start of the crisis some 355,000 certified PCR tests. At this time, we estimate that the number of PCR tests being performed daily in our country ranges between 15,000 and 20,000. We have purchased 649,000 tests that will be distributed among the different regions in the coming days, a figure that will soon reach 1 million. And moreover, the ministry is closing a deal to import 6 million rapid tests from other countries, Hence, the lockdown measures are very important, they are radical, they are tough in our country, but secondly, we need to extend the tests to a larger share of the population, because that is how we will know exactly how many people have these symptoms, how many people are positive, and consequently must be isolated and thus definitively break this cog on the chain of the spread of the virus. So, we are not only focusing on the lockdown measures, which are very tough, but will be effective if we persevere with them; what is important is combining them with the other matter the Government of Spain and the regional governments are involved in, which is extending the tests to as many people as possible to know exactly who has and who doesn't have the virus. Hence, the fronts we are working on, from the perspective of individual and collective responsibility, clearly include this isolation and these tests. I would also like the media to pass on this focus given to us by science and the experts, not just of the confinement measures but also the rapid tests to see the scale of the pandemic being suffered in our country, and to obviously isolate and break this link in the chain.

Finally, how long will Spain have these measures in place? We will try and lift them as soon as possible but, as I said before, not only the commitment of the Government of Spain, of each autonomous region and institution is very important, but also that of all the Spanish people. I am sure, and the figures are out there of the huge reduction, not absolute standstill, of people's travel movements, the rise in energy consumption at home but huge drop in that of services, also the figures on the use of public areas, which is absolutely marginal, that sooner rather than later we will defeat the virus.

I apologise for going on in answering this question, but I felt it was very important that we spoke about this lockdown, this isolation, and be well aware of the efforts we are asking for from the public, which are very great, as they should be, above those of our peer countries and countries with a similar culture. We have a culture where we enjoy being out in the streets and we like to socialise with other people. Confining people is an extraordinarily serious measure for our culture, but has a very important element in the analysis of the efficacy of measures which is precisely something that the Government of Spain is doing, which is to extend the test to the largest number of Spanish people possible to see exactly who is infected by the virus. And this is important, and I will end with this and my apologies if I have gone on too long.

It is not only very important for halting the spread of this new wave of infections, but it is also important for when we see the light at the end of the tunnel, when we see the horizon and propose de-escalation measures, to start to get rid of these very harsh measures we are imposing on ourselves, for us to have the instruments and tools to be protected from the coronavirus until the arrival of a vaccination and to be able to recover our daily lives and routines. That is why it is very important for us to start to manufacture face masks in Spain and other protective measures so that those citizens who get their jobs back when these lockdown measures are lifted feel safe. It is very important, for example, to extend these PCR tests, and even to produce them ourselves, because we will not only be providing better instruments to protect ourselves from the coronavirus, but also in deciding when to take these measures and to do so effectively and to avoid a fresh outbreak in the coming weeks and months. That is why, until such time as we have a vaccination, not only will we have to give a response to what is pressing, and the most important thing at this time is protecting the lives of those who have been infected and who are in hospital, but we must also think beyond that, something the government is doing at this time, at how we can recover our day-to-day lives and do so with the safest instruments to ensure that this situation is not repeated to the extent we are unfortunately suffering now.

Q: RNE: When do you think we will see the results of the lockdown? When does the government expect to reach the apex of the contagion?

President of the Government: I feel I have already answered that question. What is important now is for the Spanish people to continue doing this week what we asked them to do last week. And secondly it is very important for all the public authorities to act as one.

Q: CANAL SUR. Some regions like Andalusia are taking the initiative and carrying out tests in the open air and in preparing medicalised hotels. Does the government support these measures? Will it allocate more resources?

President of the Government: I think I have already answered that question. 350,000 PCR tests have been distributed to the public as a whole, wherever they may live. At this time, we estimate that the number of PCR tests being performed daily throughout Spain amounts to some 15,000 to 20,000. We have bought 649,000 new tests, which will shortly rise to 1 million. We have closed a deal, or rather are closing a deal, to import 6 million new tests. And of course we will not only import them; we are buying them at this time in a market which is, well you can imagine, everyone is buying face masks, PCR tests, respirators, which are very important in intensive care units. We, the Government of Spain, are protecting the health of our citizens and we are closing these deals as quickly as possible. But I repeat, for the Government of Spain it is very important based on what the scientists and experts have said, not only to impose a lockdown, but also to extend the use of these PCR tests, which we have no problem with; quite the opposite. We applaud this, and furthermore, we are cooperating with this autonomous region and with any other so that these tests can become more extensive. What is important? Well, that these tests are certified, that these tests have the right stamp, in this case from the Carlos III Institute, as those in charge explained this morning - it is there where these tests are certified so that we know they are valid and that consequently what they tell us is correct.

At present, everything that is being distributed and implemented by the regional governments has been certified which is why I would ask for a little patience in this regard, because clearly what we need to do is certify all these PCR tests so that when they are performed the result is reliable and accurate.

Q: Puntaviu: After listening to the statements from Regional President Quim Torra on the BBC, is there any room for understanding in tomorrow's video-conference?

President of the Government: Of course; I said this before that we won't be reproaching any regional president or any regional government, of whatever political hue. Just look, I think we are dealing with something quite different now, and I don't want to waste a second of my energy on whether someone has said this or that… at such a critical time as this, you have to show your best side and clearly the Government of Spain and I will show the best of ourselves because we are truly facing a critical situation.

I feel these things are absolutely irrelevant at such a dramatic time as we are living now. To give you an idea, the Regional Government of Madrid asked for our help in increasing the number of hospital beds and intensive care beds, and the army has stepped up, gone to IFEMA and set up 5,500 beds. Those regions that need help from the Government of Spain, whoever their citizens may be, wherever they may live, have this government's commitment that it will protect them.

Q: TV3: Many companies are changing their production to help combat the coronavirus. Do you think it is fair to talk about a war economy?

President of the Government: That is partly true when we say that we are talking with the manufacturing industries so that we can start to produce these face masks and all the other protective material. Because, I repeat, we won't only need this today .When we recover our daily lives, we are also going to need to protect ourselves. We are going to need to protect ourselves which is why we will need this material. And we can guarantee this material in two ways, which is what we are doing. And I am well aware of what is happening on the frontline at this time, where it is precisely our healthcare professionals who need and demand - and also patients - the best possible guarantees, the best individual protection equipment and respirators and all the material necessary to be able to do their work with the best possible guarantees, with the best protection, and also clearly protect the sick from the coronavirus. We are doing this; we are competing in an absolutely aggressive market in the world right now, to defend the rights and the public health of our compatriots. But apart from this, we are not simply ordering X hundreds of thousands of face masks, but we are also negotiating production lines with these companies, which is what is being done abroad - manufacturing these materials. Spain needs to obtain these materials through national industry. And in this regard, which I why I made this announcement earlier, we are talking with the different industries to precisely focus and aim our production of goods towards the material that we are going to need, that we already need, but which we are going to need even more in the future.

We have also made economic resources available - 30 million euros to research because, talking about war, these are the three fronts we have: firstly, the intensive care and the healthcare personnel front. And we clearly need to invest resources there, and we are going do. Day and night we are looking for certified face masks which we clearly need to guarantee protection for our healthcare personnel. We need respirators and other material that our doctors and nurses need. That is the first front.

The second front is related to the whole socio-economic impact of these confinement measures and the freeze on the economy which we are self-imposing.

And the third front is research. All these measures are being set in motion to redirect national production towards the manufacture of face masks and PCR tests that provide us with a certain protection against the infection both now and when this avalanche passes and we recover our daily lives.

All of this will end when we find a vaccination and this finally arrives. We don't know if this will be in a matter of months or of more than a year. We don't know, but meanwhile Spain must prepare and provide all the material necessary to protect its people. And that is what the Government of Spain is doing. And not only protecting our people but also re-directing this industry towards the mass production of these materials to help the planet fight this common enemy which is the coronavirus.

Q: Deutschlandfunk: How do you rate the way the EU is working to protect citizens from major threats, such as the current threat from the coronavirus? Do you feel that Europe needs to re-address its structures?

President of the Government: Yes, we need to do this in Spain, in every European country and also at a European level, an EU level. Unlike other societies, Western society was not ready to face a pandemic, that is stating the obvious. Fortunately, we live in Europe, and unlike other great societies, and great powers, we have a strong Welfare State. It is true that this Welfare State, in recent years, for many reasons, has suffered cuts. But we have a strong Welfare State nonetheless, in the areas of health, education, pensions, long-term care, but we must strengthen these areas further; I feel this is one of the main lessons we must take away from this. And we must invest resources when this is over, also at a level of the Welfare State so that, if faced with potential pandemics in the future, the very distant future, we hope, then Spanish society, like all Western societies, can be ready. When you look at Asia and at some small countries, and some larger countries, these are places that have gradually been preparing because they have suffered from other similar pandemics in recent decades. Now Western society has come under attack, invaded by this pandemic and we must draw lessons from this. As President of the Government, I can assure you that I am on the case, looking at the lessons we can learn, the resources we need to invest in terms of material and goods, but also from the perspective of intelligence, which we have a lot of in this country, to invest greater resources there, and logically to also design a system that is more resilient to this type of pandemic.

Q: Diario16: In each of your appearances, tonight, for example, you call for unity and thank the regional governments for their collaboration, but from the President of the Regional Government of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso to the President of the Regional Government of Catalonia, Quim Torra, they accuse you of refusing them such material as face masks and gloves to the Regions of Madrid and Catalonia. Do you deny this?

President of the Government: Well, I feel that over the course of the different briefings by the different ministers, in this case the Minister for Health, things have been made very clear and you have the figures; the regional governments have been provided with face masks, to quote a specific example, which is what you are asking. In recent weeks, the Ministry of Health has distributed, so we are all familiar with the figures, 1.5 million face masks. In the next few hours, it will hand out 1.3 million face masks, that is a total of 2.8 million masks; but it is clear that this is not enough, and that we need to supply a larger number of masks, and the Government of Spain is on the case, in collaboration with the regional governments, and we don't want to waste any time on reproaching anyone, quite the opposite, we need to reconcile to combat the common enemy which is the coronavirus. I repeat, when the army has had to come in, which was announced, in the Region of Madrid, to disinfect residential care homes for the elderly, which is unfortunately where we have hotspots that we need to address in different regions, or when we have had to set up more beds, in this case 5,500 beds in IFEMA, the army has acted on the orders of the Government of Spain, and I feel that this is the best example, the most eloquent example of the commitment of the Government of Spain to general public health. We are investing all resources, not just from the point of view of the armed forces and the State law enforcement agencies, and I hope the Spanish people realise this.

Q: EsDiario: You have said that we can feel proud of our public servants. Can we also feel proud of our government? Do you assume responsibility for managing the crisis in January, February and the start of March?

President of the Government: The start of March, April, May, June, July, August, September… until such time as we discover a vaccination. I am the President of the Government of Spain and I assume full responsibility, obviously. And of course what I demand of myself and my whole team at this critical time for Spain is precisely maximum commitment, dedication and time. We are not letting up; we are working hard to control this pandemic among us all. Aside from that, well clearly the Spanish people will be what they decide to be and they can evaluate what the different public authorities have done, and different institutions, to defend their public health. Clearly what we are doing is investing all our efforts and intelligence in halting this pandemic as soon as possible.

(Transcript edited by the State Secretariat for Communication)

Non official translation