Whilst many countries gradually tightened the reigns, as COVID-19 spread around the world, Spain did not hesitate to shock its nation with drastic measures taken overnight. From one day to the next, the country declared a State of Emergency and its citizens were imprisoned with immediate effect.
We all remember hearing about this devastating virus taking lives in China and then suddenly hearing about Milan and their struggle with this unknown, invisible enemy that took them by surprise and left them in such a vulnerable state. It was a tragedy happening elsewhere.
Rumours that it may spread to other parts of Europe were faint. We weren’t thinking about it hitting the rest of Europe as much as we were focussed on the tragedy happening in Milan and our concerns for the Italians.
Out of nowhere, on Friday, March 13th, the Spanish government declared that the country was going into total lockdown as of Sunday, March 15th. We all heard the news and simply thought that the Spanish government was taking precautionary measures. No one had informed us that we were in as much trouble as Italy, if not more. No one imagined what Sanchez, Spain’s Prime Minister, had in mind with “Total Lockdown”.
Sunday the 15th came along and reality hit hard. Some of us who own cafes and restaurants went about business as usual, thinking this lockdown was beginning on Monday. (There had been some confusion as to when the lockdown was to begin.) Others went about walking their dog or doing their usual Sunday, family activities outdoors until reality hit us hard.
The streets across Spain were armed with police and the army, who did not hesitate to arrest and fine anyone caught on the streets. They stormed into cafes and restaurants like raging bulls, shutting them down with immediate effect, kicking customers out and of course arresting owners and employees.
The entire nation went into shock as the bright, sunny Spanish sky filled with drones shouting: “stay indoors or you will be arrested and fined”, police helicopters flying over cities and towns to inform the troops on the ground of any offenders. It was a shock to the system. The Spanish Government took on a zero-tolerance approach to enforce its total lockdown and they meant business from the get-go. No one had time to realise what was happening.
The country remained in this strict uncompromising lockdown for just under 2 months. No one could leave their home under any circumstances except to go to the hospital if ill, to the pharmacy or to get food. And anyone out had to be alone, and surveillance was extremely tight. The country was a super-maximum security prison, people’s homes the cells and Spanish residents the inmates.
There was no slack given for 7 weeks straight. No child saw daily during that entire time. No one could go for a walk or take a breath of fresh air out of their house under any circumstance. Spain did not go half-way in implementing and executing its total, zero-tolerance lockdown. It did not suggest or recommend to its citizens and residents what to do or not to do. It dictated the code of conduct and made any infraction punishable by law.
Imagine the feeling when we were told that as of May 2nd, we can go out for a breath of fresh air for one hour daily, between 6 am and 10 am and 8 pm and 11 pm. Many put their alarm on for the first time in weeks not to miss that opportunity.
Try to imagine the feeling when your alarm goes off at 7h30 am. The excitement of getting out of bed, getting dressed and then opening the door of your home and for the first time in 48 days, stepping out of your house, into the sunshine.
You take a deep breath, close your eyes for just a second to take in this sense of freedom. Open your eyes, and start walking or jogging or doing whatever it is you want to do during that hour and of course within the restrictions that apply, still. It was such a wonderful moment in time, to see people. To see children. To hear people and children laughing. To see children running and screaming with excitement. It felt like heaven. It is also a sign that Spain, who was hit hard by the Coronavirus, is finally on the road to recovery.
Spain was one of the worse hit countries in the world, with over 25,000 deaths and counting still. The United States, the UK and Italy are the three countries that have exceeded Spain in the number of deaths to date.
We’re not out of the woods yet and Spain’s total recovery is not expected until June 22nd 2020, but it is now one of the European countries registering the lowest number of new cases of COVID-19. We are looking forward to being back in business. Stay tuned as Spain leads its total recovery to finally open its borders again to welcome the world to its sunny beaches and wonderful way of life.
