Wife of Spanish Prime Minister infected with coronavirus

Begona Gomez, the wife of the head of the Spanish government, Pedro Sanchez, tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The news comes just hours after the country was placed in nearly total isolation in efforts to combat the dramatic spread of the epidemic. Spain is the second worst-hit European country after Italy, with almost 6,400 coronavirus cases confirmed.

Begona Gomez Fernandez (pic: wikimedia commons)

Sanchez approved a state of emergency across the country for the next 15 days, with non-essential public and private businesses, – e.g. stores, bars, restaurants, cinemas, schools and universities,- being temporarily closed down. The Spanish army was mobilized to help respond to coronavirus situations and provide essential supplies, while intercity trains and buses reduced their scheduled routes to 50%, in the context in which the number of confirmed infections in Spain increased to 6,391 and the death toll climbed to 196.

Several Spanish politicians tested positive for the new coronavirus including the Minister for Equality, Irene Montero, the partner of the Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Pablo Iglesias, and the Minister of Territorial Policy and Civil Service, Carolina Darias.

Santiago Abascal, the leader of the far-right party Vox, and Ortega Smith, general secretary of Vox, were also tested positive for COVID-19.