“Coronavirus in Spain? Not for us”, most of us thought.
“It’s in China, but it won’t get here”, most of us thought.
“Coronavirus is now in Italy, but it’s still far away”, most of us thought.
Coronavirus finally landed in Spain too.
Growing fast in Madrid in the beginning.
Spreading to other cities afterwards.
Out of control.
The number of infections escalating.
The number of deaths too.
The Spanish health system collapsing.
The people panicking.
The lockdown.
Our lives on hold.
Our lives surrounded by uncertainty.
Our lives threatened by coronavirus.
By the time you read this…
…things will be totally different.
Reading is like time traveling.
You are transported to the time where the piece was written.
By the time you read this, coronavirus in Spain might be completely eradicated.
Today is Friday 27 March 2020.
The “state of alarm” in Spain was declared on Saturday 14 March 2020 (click here to read it).
Many things have happened in the last 14 days.
Spain is locked down.
Bars and restaurants closed.
Almost all businesses closed, apart from essential needs: supermarkets, pharmacies, health.
Going out is prohibited, unless it’s to buy food, to work (at any of the few industries open) or health matters.
Only one person in the car.
I have seen a lot of expats in my area walking around, on their own, or with their spouse. Don’t do it.
Do you need to walk the dog? Only one person, and not 5 miles away.
Please, do whatever the Spanish government says.
I hope coronavirus in Spain is far away when you read this.
Years away…
(Dreaming on recovering our reborn Spain)
Therefore, I will not give any numbers
No number of infected people.
No number of deaths.
No ranking of the most hammered regions.
All this information will get outdated soon.
No Nostradamus predictions about the Spanish economy either. Who knows what will happen…
I don’t want to contribute to more negativity.
I don’t want to contribute to the fad “think-positive-and-your-dreams-will-come-true”, as if coronavirus in Spain were not happening.
We are in the middle of the storm.
The doors are cracking.
The wind is hitting hard.
Creepy sounds in the streets.
Our Spanish National Police, our Guardia Civil, our Local Police, and our Spanish Armed Forces are protecting us outdoors.
Our supermarkets feeding us.
Our truck drivers delivering the food.
Our cleaning services trying to kill the virus.
Our Spanish health system fighting the virus restless at hospitals: the last defence line.
I truly hope you are reading this article years after this coronavirus crisis.
Coronavirus in Spain: About fake news
In a moment, I will give you a list of official websites, the most relevant in my opinion.
But please be careful:
- Everything seems genuine on the Internet
- Everything seems credible on WhatsApp because it was shared by somebody you know
- Everything seems right because it came from somebody on Facebook groups
- Everything you read makes a high impact on you due to the situation
I have been writing about something similar for years, about doing things the right way to relocate to Spain, not following what you will read on Facebook or forums.
Nowadays, I’m so sad to be repeating the same story, but within a much more serious context behind: coronavirus in Spain.
Please be careful.
Fake news can:
- Lead to expensive fines if you do something prohibited based on the current state of alarm
- Aggravate your health if you are following wrong advice
- Take you to fraudulent websites designed to steal your money or your identity
- Fill the blank (put whatever crazy scenario here)
We must follow the Spanish authorities’ instructions.
Here are official sources, in English, when possible (click on the name):
Health department (Ministerio de Sanidad)
Spanish National Police (Cuerpo Nacional de Policía)
Traffic Department (Dirección General de Tráfico)
Tax Department (Agencia Tributaria)
Please be careful.
Look after yourself.
(Fake news can be the access point to your biggest nightmare)
Spain would not be Spain without you
You might be living in Spain already. Please, stay at home along with the rest of the country. Let’s keep united. Strong.
You might be planning to move to Spain. Keep working on it. Coronavirus in Spain will not last long. This crisis will come to an end soon.
But what I really want to say here is that you mean a lot for us.
EU and Non-EU citizens.
Travelers.
Non-residents.
Residents.
Long time ago I wrote an article to say thank you.
I want to say thank you again for everything.
Torrevieja Translation would have never got to this point without you.
I, David Ruiz, would have never got to this point without you: professionally and personally.
Spain would not be Spain without you, in every respect.
Trust me.
You mean a lot for us.
You are part of Spain.
We all are Spain against one common enemy: coronavirus.
Stay safe.
Stay strong.
I will see you soon.
David
Credit image: Ashley Webb, Christoph Scholz
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