Spain plans four-phase strategy to return to ‘new normality’ in June

Pakistan News & Features Services

Spain has planned a four-phase strategy to lift its stringent coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown and return to what has been described as ‘new normality’ by the end of June. 

While making the announcement, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez remarked that each region would be entitled to relax restrictions at its own pace keeping in mind the severity of its outbreak. Four Spanish islands will be first to relax the measures from May 4 while the rest of Spain will be following a week later. 

More than 24,000 people have been killed in Spain because of the pandemic which infected a colossal 0.213 million people in the country. 

The Prime Minister has outlined a fuller de-escalation plan with four phases, each expected to last about two weeks. He disclosed that the process would take a minimum of six weeks, and hopefully no more than eight. 

Due to the massive destruction caused by the virus, Spain has endured some of the world's toughest containment measures since March 14, with children having been banned from going outside for six weeks. 

The Spanish children, under the age of 14, have now been permitted to leave their homes for one hour a day, between 9 am to 9 pm. 

Spain had taken an early step on April 13 by allowing professionals in manufacturing, construction and some services to return to work.