Yahoo News Coronavirus: Spanish children to be let outside for first time in five weeks
Spanish children under 13 will be allowed to go outside from Monday 27 April for the first time in five weeks, prime minister Pedro Sánchez has said.
The announcement that coronavirus lockdown measures will be relaxed so children can enjoy “limited outings” follows an outcry over the effect on their mental health of being kept entirely indoors.
Two-thirds of families in Spain live in flats without outdoor space, and the country imposed tighter lockdown restrictions on children than almost anywhere in Europe.
Since 15 March, Spaniards have only been allowed to leave their homes alone to go to work, buy essential supplies or visit vulnerable relatives or dependent individuals.
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Dogs can be taken out, but not on long exercise walks.
The country has seen one of the world’s highest rates of deaths, after Italy and the US, with more than 20,000 people killed as the virus races through the country.
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Sánchez did not give details of the circumstances in which children would be allowed out, other than to say the new rules would apply to under-13s.
The move follows a campaign set up by parents called “Free the children”.
Authorities said at the weekend they would ease restrictions but hold off on lifting the lockdown, despite the country seeing fewer COVID-19 deaths and new confirmed cases.
“We have done the most difficult things and we have left the most extreme moments of the crisis behind with sacrifice and resilience, but these results are still not enough and still fragile,” said Sanchez, in a televised address on Saturday evening.
“Despite the enormous progress that we have made, it is not possible for us to lift the confinement and move to a phase of scaling down.”
Colombian singer Shakira is among those who have called for restrictions to be lifted, as she and her family lock down at their home in Barcelona.
The singer, a mother-of-two who lives with the footballer Gerard Piqué, said in a Facebook post last month: “Knowing the difficult situation of parents with small children in this difficult period of quarantine, I empathise with those that don't have an outside space or balcony so their children can breathe fresh air.
“If going out to walk dogs is allowed or adults can go out for shopping trips, a solution needs to be found that grants children who need sun and fresh air for their mental and physical health that same right.
“I would urge the government to consider a policy that permits a responsible adult to take a child out for a walk, although it is subject to the restrictions decided by experts and always respecting social distancing.”
Read more: Coronavirus: Spain records 'world's highest number of COVID-19 deaths in a day'
The mayor of Barcelona Ada Colau also asked: “If adults can go out to walk the dog… why must our children keep waiting?
“We are tired of being told that we are soldiers and this is a war, instead of talking about how to take care of our lives and of each other.”
