MADRID – King Felipe and his wife Queen Letizia attend the national tribute to the victims of the Covid-19 pandemic on Friday morning. Members of the Council of Ministers will also be in attendance, led by President Pedro Sánchez.
The tribute is intended as an “applause to the memory” of the citizens’ efforts during the worst months of the pandemic, said Isabel Rodríguez, government spokesman at the press conference after the Council of Ministers.
The solemn tribute also recognises all the efforts and sacrifices of the healthcare staff in Spain. In addition to the royal couple and various government representatives, there are also representatives of other government bodies, presidents of the autonomous communities, opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo (PP), José Luis Martinez Almeida, mayor of Madrid and the president of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces, Abel Caballero present.
Plaza de Armería of the Royal Palace
The ceremonies started on Friday at 9.00 am in the Plaza de la Armería of the Royal Palace. It is the third tribute to the victims of the Covid-19 pandemic to be held in Spain.
Footage from the tribute shows King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia greeting the families of the victims. A minute of silence was also held. Furthermore, a flame burns for the victims in the middle of the square. Also, Felipe VI and Letizia presented one of the four Great Crosses of Civil Merit. This went to some colleagues of the healthcare professionals who died during the coronavirus pandemic.
Hace algo más de 2 años, el #COVID19 cambió el destino de todo el mundo. En este tiempo, las y los sanitarios lo han dado todo para protegernos. Hoy reconocemos el trabajo de aquellos que nos cuidan y recordamos a quienes perdieron la vida por este virus. #AplausoParaElRecuerdo pic.twitter.com/pYH4t4qHvO
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) July 15, 2022
108,948 death victims of the pandemic in Spain
The photo on this page shows how the royal couple lays a wreath in memory of the victims. In Spain, the death toll from the coronavirus is 108,948 as of July 12, according to data from the Ministry of Health.
