WATCH: Housebound Spanish public take to balconies to applaud country’s heroic health workers
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WATCH: Housebound Spanish public take to balconies to applaud country’s heroic health workers

THE PEOPLE of Spain paid tribute to the heroic efforts of the country’s healthcare workers with a round of applause which could be heard ringing out across the empty streets of the coronavirus-hit nation last night. 

It followed the broadcast of a public service announcement by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, confirming a partial lockdown of the country in the face of mounting cases of coronavirus. 

The measures include the closure of bars, restaurants and other venues as well as new restrictions on travel as part of a 15-day state of emergency. 

After the broadcast, residents in some Spanish cities took to balconies to cheer and applaud as part of a show of appreciation for the nation’s health workers dealing with the virus and care providers supplying the elderly and infirm with food and other necessary supplies during the necessary quarantine.

Footage of the special mark of respect surfaced on social media, alongside the captions “aplauso sanitario”, (I applaud the health services) and “quedate en casa” (stay at home). 

People living in cities like Madrid, Barcelona and Murcia have already taken drastic steps to halt the spread of the virus by remaining indoors during the pandemic. 

A total of 288 people have died from coronavirus in Spain since the outbreak of the virus. 

At the time of writing, the number of confirmed cases in the region has risen to 7,753, up significantly on the 5,700 cases reported just 24 hours earlier. 

Roughly half of these cases are concentrated around the Spanish capital of Madrid.