With black masks and silence, Spain mourns its coronavirus dead

Grieving Spaniards wore black and fell silent across the nation at midday on Wednesday at the start of 10 days of mourning for more than 27,000 dead from the coronavirus crisis.

Some people donned black face masks as parliament stopped for a minute, the royal family stood outside the Zarzuela Palace and flags flew at half-mast to honor those lost during one of Spain's most traumatic episodes in its modern history.

"We all feel orphans today of so many of our elders, wishing we had been able to thank them for all they did for us," said parliament speaker Meritxell Batet.

The official mourning until June 5 is the longest in Spain's democratic history since the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco that followed the 1936-1939 civil war.

One of the worst-hit nations from the global COVID-19 pandemic, Spain has recorded 27,117 deaths and 236,259 cases and endured a strict lockdown that even saw children unable for weeks to leave their homes for fresh air. The healthcare system is reeling and the economy is spinning into recession.



REUTERS