All economic activities in Spain suspended except essential ones, death toll 5,700

SPAIN, (Patria) - In Spain, all economic activities except essential ones will be suspended from Sunday in an attempt to curb the coronavirus, which claimed 832 lives on Saturday alone, and a total of 5,700, announced Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

Health services, police, firefighters, media, food stores, pharmacies, newsstands, banks, and gas stations will remain open.

"All workers in non-essential activities will have to stay home for the next two weeks. They will receive their salary normally during that period. When this state of emergency ends, they will make up for it in agreement with their employers. Working an extra half hour a day, an hour, on weekends... until December 31st," Sánchez explained at a press conference.

Food production, electricity and gas distribution will be among the permitted activities.

The measure will be confirmed by the government at an extraordinary meeting on Sunday and will be in effect from Monday, March 30th to April 9th during the Easter holidays.

"Our goal is to further reduce the movement of the population," said Sánchez. "These are extremely difficult measures, but society is ready for them," he added.

About 47 million residents have been in their homes since March 14th, and until now they were allowed to go to work, which will now be suspended.

Spain is the second country in the world by the number of deaths behind Italy, which has 9,134 victims.

The number of infected people is 72,250. Of that number, 12,285 have recovered.