Message from the King of Spain for the coronavirus pandemic

USPA NEWS - Allow me to address you at a time of great concern and concern about this health crisis we are experiencing, not only in Spain but throughout Europe and the rest of the world. This afternoon I met with the Prime Minister and the Coronavirus Technical Management Committee to analyze the latest information on the epidemic and the measures adopted after the declaration of the state of alarm, which our democratic system provides for in the Constitution. The entire State, all public institutions, are committed to solving this crisis, which is our essential priority, and all Spaniards can feel protected.

We are facing a new and different, unprecedented, very serious crisis that puts our health at risk in every corner of Spain. But also, and in a very traumatic way, it alters and conditions our customs and the normal development of our lives, employment and our companies; in short, our well-being.

But it is also a crisis that we are fighting and that we are going to overcome. In this situation, the first thing I want to do is send all my love and affection, together with the Queen and our daughters, to so many families throughout Spain who have unfortunately suffered the loss of one of their loved ones. We also do it to all those who are especially affected, both personally and in your environment, by this virus and its consequences. To all of you, a lot of strength and a lot of encouragement.

Second, today it is more fair than ever to thank all people, entities and public services, without exception, who are helping and sacrificing for others. And I want to embody that gratitude in one of them: We knew that we have a great healthcare system and extraordinary professionals; I want to address them now: you have our greatest admiration and respect, our full support. You are the vanguard of Spain in the fight against this disease, you are our first line of defense. Those who, every day and at all hours of the day, are taking care of those affected, healing the sick, giving comfort and hope to those who need it.

Your professionalism, dedication to others, your courage and personal sacrifice are an unforgettable example. We can never thank you enough for what you are doing for your country. It cannot surprise you that an exciting and heartfelt applause is heard from the houses of all Spain. A sincere and fair applause, which I am sure comforts and encourages you.

There are moments in the History of the peoples in which reality tests us in a difficult, painful and sometimes extreme way; moments in which the values of a society and the very capacity of a State are put to the test. I am sure that we are all going to set an example, once again, of responsibility, of a sense of duty, of civility and humanity, of dedication and effort and, above all, of solidarity ““especially with the most vulnerable““, so that no one can feeling lonely or helpless

Now we must put aside our differences. We must unite around the same objective: to overcome this serious situation. And we have to do it together; among all; with serenity and confidence, but also with determination and energy. Now we have to resist, we have to endure, and we have to adapt our ways of life and our behaviors to the instructions of our authorities and the recommendations of our experts to beat the virus. We must all contribute to that collective effort with our attitudes and our actions, however small they may be.

I know that it is easy to say it, and I also know that it is not easy at all to do it in these circumstances: organize each one at work, at home, with his family or with his children. But it is what we must do for the good of all. Because each and every one of us is part of the solution to this crisis. This is a temporary crisis. A parenthesis in our lives. We will return to normal. Definitely. And we will do it sooner rather than later: if we do not let our guard down, if we all join forces and collaborate from our respective responsibilities. We will recover the normality of our coexistence, life on our streets, in our towns and cities; the economy, the jobs, our companies, our shops, our workshops ... Spain will recover its pulse, its vitality, its strength.

Over the years we have been through very difficult, very serious situations; but, like the previous ones, we will also overcome this one. Because Spain is a great country; a great people that does not give up in the face of difficulties. This virus will not defeat us. Unlike. It will make us stronger as a society; a more committed, more caring, more united society. A society standing in the face of any adversity.