MADRID, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The Spanish government will ask a special session of Parliament to be held on Wednesday to extend the State of Alarm originally declared by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on March 14 to try to halt the spread of the coronavirus.
Sanchez announced on Sunday that he would seek to extend the State of Alarm, adding that his request had first to be approved in Tuesday's cabinet meeting and then by a special session in the Congress of Deputies (lower chamber) .
Following the cabinet meeting, the government confirmed on its official social media site that it had "agreed to ask Congress for the authorization to extend the State of Alarm until April 12," adding that "the request will be debated and voted on tomorrow, Wednesday."
Pablo Casado, the leader of the opposition People's Party (PP), indicated he would support the measure.
In a press conference held after the cabinet meeting, government sokesperson Maria Jesus Montoro confirmed other measures which had agreed in the cabinet meeting, such as the distribution of 25 million euros (27 million U.S. dollars) to ensure adequate food for children living in poverty.
Meanwhile, a further 300 million euros will be distributed to Spain's 17 autonomous communities to help families in "vulnerable" situations.
The cabinet met shortly after it was confirmed that the number of COVID-19 cases in Spain had risen from 33,089 to 39,373, including 5,400 health professionals, between Monday and Tuesday, while that of deaths rose to 2,696.
A State of Alarm is the first of three emergency levels that the Spanish government can apply under exceptional circumstances. It grants the government special powers to limit the movement of citizens, control the means of production and use private assets if needed and also use the military to carry out essential logistical and supply jobs.
