The Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration and Government spokesperson, Elma Saiz, has lashed out at the president of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, whom she blames for "generating anguish and fear" in Ceuta after proposing a lockdown in the autonomous city due to "health risk" following the detection of infectious diseases such as scabies or tuberculosis, after the massive entry of "more than 70,000 illegal migrants" at the end of July.
In an interview with Europa Press, the opposition leader explained that, in his meeting with the College of Physicians and the College of Nursing of the autonomous city, where they analyzed the situation of hospitals and the emergency service, they conveyed to him the existence of pathologies such as "tuberculosis, scabies, and more than 450 cases of gastroenteritis," in addition to "some cases of chickenpox."
"We are talking about infectious diseases. I believe that the conditions for a lockdown due to health risk are present. I do not have all the data because obviously we do not possess them from the opposition, but I propose that the Government study very well the possibility of decreeing the lockdown for public health reasons," Feijóo demanded, subsequently warning that these are situations that can generate "an enormous impact on the population."
For the Government spokesperson, the fact that Feijóo makes these statements without having the "data" evidences a "serious irresponsibility." She emphasized that Ceuta "does not need anguish" or "fear," and insisted that the response to the autonomous city must be articulated "from legality and humanity."
In an interview on "La hora de La 1," the minister reiterated that the PP leader has gone to Ceuta "not to propose solutions, but to propagate and extend the anguish" among the Ceutí citizens. Furthermore, she focused on the fact that, as the Society of Epidemiology of Spain pointed out "clearly," a lockdown is not justified as the requirements are not met nor is there "risk of contagion."
"What is contagious is xenophobia, so I find the statements, in this case, of the leader of what, unfortunately for Spain, has long ceased to be a state party, to be of a huge irresponsibility," Saiz concluded, raising the tone of criticism towards the main opposition party.