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Madrid, Spain (CNN) - An ice rink in Madrid has become a temporary morgue as Spain tries to cope with the consequences of its rapid outbreak of coronavirus.
The country's emergency military unit is transporting the bodies of people who died from covid-19 to the Palacio de Hielo, in Madrid's Hortaleza neighborhood, the Madrid regional president's office told CNN on Tuesday.
The regional government said that this was a "temporary and extraordinary measure" designed to "lessen the pain of the families of the victims and the situation that is being registered in Madrid hospitals."
Spain has the fourth highest number of confirmed cases worldwide, after China, Italy and the United States, and the third highest number of deaths. The country has confirmed 39,673 cases and 2,696 deaths, authorities said Tuesday.
The municipal funeral service of Madrid, one of the main providers of the city, announced in a statement on Monday that it would stop collecting the bodies of the victims of Ccvid-19, because its workers do not have enough protection material. The service manages 14 cemeteries, two funeral homes and two crematoriums in Madrid.
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The funeral service said cremations, burials and other services for coronavirus victims would continue as normal, but only if the bodies are "shipped by other funeral service businesses in a closed coffin."
Madrid is one of the epicenters of the epidemics in Spain. The president of the community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, said last week that the city expects 80% of its population to get covid-19. "They will have mild symptoms," he told local radio, but added that the disease will be a problem for the city's vulnerable population, which represents about 15% of people.
(Patricia J. Garcinuno / Getty Images)
Spain has been locked up and in a state of emergency since Friday, March 13. The period was initially expected to last 15 days, but Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Sunday that the state of emergency could be extended for another 14 days. Parliament will debate the motion on Wednesday.
Emergency hospitals have been established across the country, while residents have been ordered to stay indoors.
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On Tuesday, a new government order went into effect ordering nursing homes to report to the government if they have any deceased people they cannot transport from the residence.
The order appeared to be issued in response to reports in Spanish media quoting the country's defense minister as saying that a nursing home for the elderly was found to have one or more bodies that were not being moved.
Al Goodman, Laura Pérez Maestro and Ingrid Formanek of CNN reported from Madrid. Max Ramsay reported from London, Ivana Kottasová wrote from London.
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