Spain and
France went into lockdown last night as the struggle to contain the coronavirus intensified. With 193 deaths and 6,046 infections,
Spain is the worst-hit country in Europe after Italy. Under draft new measures all public transport would be cut back and people must stay home except to buy food or medicine, go to the hospital, go to work or other emergencies. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced the restrictions following a huge spike in the number of infections in this nation of some 46 million people. "The prohibition to circulate in the streets... must be followed starting today," he said in a televised address after a cabinet meeting that lasted more than seven hours. It left
British tourists and students scrambling to get home before some of Europe’s most draconian restrictions came into force. There was chaos in the skies with flights from the
UK to Spain being turned back mid-air. France meanwhile announced the closure of all non-essential businesses, starting at midnight, including restaurants and cafes as the country reported 12 new deaths from coronavirus taking the total to 91. Elsewhere Denmark, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia, Kosovo and Cyprus all closed their borders.
Russia and Georgia followed suit.