MADRID (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th March, 2020) The Catalan authorities have decided to close all educational institutions in the autonomous community starting from Friday amid fears of the coronavirus spreading, Catalan leader Quim Torra announced on Thursday.
According to Torra, the precautionary measure, which will affect 1.5 million school and nearly 240,000 university students, will be in effect for two weeks.
"The coronavirus pandemic must be stopped to avoid the collapse of the health care system," Torra said.
Similar closures were announced by the Basque Country, Galicia and Murcia autonomous communities earlier in the day, while school and universities in Madrid and La Rioja were closed earlier this month.
Spain is the second most affected country in Europe after Italy. According to the latest official figures, Spain has confirmed 2,950 cases with 84 deaths. Madrid has the highest concentration of infections (1,388), followed by the Basque Country (346) and Catalonia (260).
Spanish Equality Minister Irene Montero and three lawmakers have tested positive for the coronavirus, and all cabinet members are expected to be checked.
The World Health Organization on Wednesday declared a pandemic in light of the rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus. The number of cases worldwide has surpassed 126,000, with over 4,600 fatalities and 68,000 recoveries.
