Spain: Drones light up Madrid sky to honour coronavirus victims

In a gesture of thankfulness and to pay solidarity, a fleet of 40 drones carrying multicolour LEDs lit up the night sky in Spain with images and messages to pay tribute to victims of the coronavirus outbreak. The LEDs beamed in the sky also to express solidarity with the essential workers amid the ongoing pandemic. In an initiative taken by a tech company, the lights ran across the sky in different colours lit by the programmed drones including hearts, ‘thank you’ and spreading ‘hope’ among the people of Spain. 

 The lightening ceremony was conducted at a place away from the metropolis so that the crowd or large assembly of people could be avoided. However, the location’s information was withheld by the Spain government to prevent people from gathering in order to witness the lights. With over 295,850 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, Spain reportedly announced that it would allow visitors from the UK without them going under a 14-day quarantine, starting June 21. Spain, which went on lockdown on March 14, is also set to open border to EU nations on June 21.  

Read: COVID-19: Spain Considering To Impose Quarantine On UK Visitors, Says FM

Read: Sanchez: Spain To Open Borders To Most Of Schengen

Nation's state of emergency ends on 21 June

Earlier, Spain had officially announced that travellers from at least 25 countries in the European Union’s Schengen area would be allowed in the country.  However, borders with neighbouring Portugal would open on July 1, as scheduled earlier, as per local media reports.  Among one of the hardest-hit countries, the government allowed the Spaniards to move freely around the country without restrictions, but face masks remain mandatory in public transport and crowded spaces. The Spanish PM reportedly said that Spain will maintain their border closed to non-essential crossings until 1 July. The opening of borders would, however, coincide with the end of the nation's state of emergency on 21 June, which began on March 14 to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Read: Spain To Open Its Borders To Countries In EU's Schengen Area On June 21

Read: Spain To Allow British Tourists To Visit Without Having To Quarantine From June 21