Use common sense for Christmas shopping, Spanish authorities urge
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Spanish political and health authorities have appealed to general public to behave responsibly and use their “common sense” after the streets of main cities across the countries attracted large crowds in the first weekend of Christmas shopping in the country.
Spain has been in a state of emergency since the end of October and is subject to an overnight curfew. The prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has asked people to significantly limit their social lives and limit their movements for the common good.
However, the last weekend of November, which brought together Black Friday, the switching on of Christmas lights and what was considered as the first Christmas shopping weekend filled up the streets of Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Málaga.
On Monday, Silvia Calzón, Spain’s secretary of state for health, urged people to act wisely and avoid large crowds.
“We’d like to appeal to people’s sense of prudence and responsibility,” Calzón said in an interview with Canal Sur radio, adding: “If we really like Christmas, let’s try to make sure we’re all here for next Christmas”.
She pointed out that huge sacrifices had been made to “flatten the curve” and that many families – especially those with vulnerable members – had suffered greatly.
Spain reported nearly 20,000 new coronavirus infections and 401 more deaths between Friday and Monday.
