Spain declares state of emergency, imposes nationwide curfew to curb increasing Covid-19 infection rate

Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez on Sunday declared a second nationwide state of emergency, granting his government powers to restrict basic freedoms, and introducing a nighttime curfew, as coronavirus cases surge in Spain.

The state of emergency will last for 15 days and could be extended up to May 9, if the extension is approved by parliament.

People across Spain have been ordered to stay at homes from 11pm to 6am, while gatherings have been limited to six people. Local officials have been given powers to restrict travel into and out of their communities.

Like many European counties, Spain has been struggling to contain the rapid resurgence of Covid-19. Prime Minister Sanchez called the situation on the spread of the disease "extreme," noting that "all of Europe has been already adopting measures to limit the movement" of people.

The government hopes the tougher restrictions will help to bring the cases down to 25 per 100,000 people. That number is currently over 400 per 100,000. "We have a long journey ahead," Sanchez said.

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