Spanish Deputy Premier Quarantined as Virus Deaths Surge
Spanish Deputy PM Iglesias in Coronavirus Quarantine
(Bloomberg) --
One of Spain’s deputy prime ministers was placed in quarantine after his partner, who is also a minister, became the first member of the cabinet to be diagnosed with coronavirus. Deaths from the disease surged in 24 hours.
Second Deputy Prime Minister Pablo Iglesias is in good health but has been placed in preventive quarantine after his partner, Equality Minister Irene Montero, was confirmed to have the virus, the government said in a statement. The rest of the cabinet is being tested and results will be announced later on Thursday.
During a press conference held after an emergency cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the government will transfer 2.8 billion euros ($3.1 billion) to regional health systems and offer small - and-medium enterprises the possibility of delaying tax payments free of interest, with the aim of injecting liquidity into the economy.
He also called on opposition parties to support the government in approving a budget when it’s presented to the fragmented Congress. Future meetings will be held remotely.
Confirmed coronavirus cases in Spain surged 38% Thursday from the previous day, reaching 2,968, while the number of deaths rose to 84 from 50, according to government data published around 1 p.m. Concerns over the disease led a number of regions, including Catalonia, to join Madrid in closing down schools.
The Spanish soccer league was suspended after the Real Madrid club said it was placing players under quarantine, while the mayor of Madrid, Jose Luis Martinez Almeida, called on all residents of the capital, the focal point of the outbreak, to refrain from leaving their homes unless absolutely necessary.
The Madrid region shut schools and universities on Tuesday, the same day when Sanchez banned all flights from Italy.
Iglesias is the head of anti-establishment party Unidas Podemos, the junior member in Spain’s coalition government. He has had a tense relationship with the Socialist Sanchez for years but the two put aside their differences to cobble together a government in January.
As part of the negotiations, Sanchez agreed to make Iglesias deputy prime minister. He then named three other deputies, diluting his rival’s power and diminishing his status.
As well as Iglesias and Montero, Unidas Podemos has three other ministers in the 23-strong cabinet.
To contact the reporter on this story: Rodrigo Orihuela in Madrid at rorihuela@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Chad Thomas at cthomas16@bloomberg.net, Caroline Alexander, Ben Sills
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