Spanish prime minister announces plan to transition to ‘new normal’

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has detailed a plan to return to a “new normal” following the country’s shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The new plan includes four stages of transitional measures, including lifting a stay-at-home order as early as May 11, according to The Washington Post.

“The only purpose of this deescalation plan is to put Spain in action protecting the health and life of Spaniards,” Sanchez said on Tuesday.

A new phase of the plan is set to roll out every two weeks, and the plan could be completed in six to eight weeks if each phase goes smoothly.

Phase one would allow food delivery services and businesses with scheduled appointments to reopen. Phase two would allow religious services and restaurants to open outdoor areas at 30 percent occupancy and allow hotels to open while keeping common areas off limits.

Phase three would allow indoor businesses such as restaurants and movie theaters to open at 30 percent occupancy, and phase four would allow a maximum of 50 percent occupancy and require at least two meters of separation for patrons and workers alike.

The fourth phase would begin as long as “the required indicators are met” such as monitoring the health system’s capacity and local coronavirus case numbers.

In addition to restarting the economy for millions of affected workers in Spain, the plan aims to bring more traction to the country’s tourism industry, which represents 12 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, according to the report.

According to Johns Hopkins University data, Spain has recorded more than 210,700 cases of COVID-19 and 23,822 fatalities.