MADRID (AP) — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez says that Spaniards will be allowed to leave their homes for short walks and exercise starting on May 2 after seven weeks of strict home confinement.
Sánchez announced in a televised address Saturday that the government plans to allow those outings for physical fitness “if the evolution of the epidemic remains favourable as it has recently.” Since the start of the state of emergency, Spaniards have only been allowed to leave home for essential shopping, except those workers in industries who cannot work from home.
Sánchez also announced that he would present a detailed plan on the “de-escalation” of the lockdown on Tuesday that he hopes to put into effect in the coming weeks.
Spain has one of the world’s strictest lockdowns as it fights to contain a Covid-19 outbreak that has claimed over 22,000 lives and infected over 200,000 people.
The measures have helped reduce a daily contagion rate that was over 20 per cent a month ago to under 2 per cent this week. On Sunday, children under 14 years old will be allowed to take walks with a parent for up to one hour and within one kilometre from home, ending six weeks of complete seclusion.
“Maximum caution will be our guideline for the rollback,” Sánchez said. “We must be very prudent because there is no manual, no road map to follow.”