A few hours before Spain reopens its borders to Europeans, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez reminded the population that she remains vulnerable to the new coronavirus and must maintain protective measures.
“We remain vulnerable. We must remain on our guard and strictly follow hygiene and protection measures, "said Pedro Sanchez in a television address.
"Each of us can be a wall in the face of the virus or a path of contagion, it depends on us", he insisted while Spain, one of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic with more than 28,000 dead, emerges from a severe confinement of 14 weeks.
Spaniards free to move
At midnight in the night from Saturday to Sunday, Spain lifts the state of alert decreed on March 14 and reopens its land border with France and its ports and airports to nationals of the European Union. Portugal will only open its border with Spain on July 1. The Spanish themselves will finally be able to move around the country. They were until now confined to their province (district comparable to the French department) or their region.
Foreigners will no longer be required to observe a quarantine of two weeks upon entering the country. But everyone should continue to wear a mask in closed places and in the open air when it is not possible to maintain a safety distance of 1.5 m with others.
Save the rest of the tourist season
Some 600 Ministry of Health officials will be deployed at airports to screen travelers arriving from abroad, ask them where they live and take their temperature. The suspected cases will be examined by a doctor, Health Minister Salvador Illa announced on Friday.
On July 1, Spain will open its borders to all nationalities, in particular to try to save what remains of the tourist season. Tourism is the first pillar of the Spanish economy with 12% of its GDP.