Spain pays tribute to the victims of the covid and the health personnel presided over by the King and Queen in the Plaza de la Armería of the Royal Palace
“Spain is a fair and supportive country. The imprint of all those who are no longer with us will never be erased. They have our recognition and our memory, which will remain intact forever. With these words from King Felipe VI, the act ‘An applause for remembrance’, the third state tribute to the victims of covid-19, ended. After two long years of the pandemic and many lives lost, a new tribute was held this Friday in the Plaza de la Armería of the Royal Palace, in Madrid. It has been presided over by the King and Queen, who have been accompanied by the entire Government, with Pedro Sánchez, at the head, in addition to the regional presidents, local authorities, and other representatives of the powers of the State such as the presidents of Congress and the Senate or the presidents of the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court.
The families of some of the victims and representatives of the health and scientific sectors have also attended this act led by the TVE journalist Xabier Fortes. After the interventions of Agustín Portela, head of Biotechnology and Products at the Spanish Medicines Agency, and Sandra Gallina, general director of Health of the European Commission, the King and Queen, Felipe VI and Doña Letizia, have delivered four large crosses to relatives of staff (pharmacists, doctors and nurses) who died while fighting the effects of the pandemic. It was a very emotional moment, with tears and hugs.
Subsequently, the King and Queen made a floral offering before the cauldron installed in the center of the Patio de la Armería and all those present, some 700 guests, stood for an emotional minute of silence, broken by a great applause.
To conclude the solemn act, the King took the floor to remember all the people who have lost their lives due to covid 19 (almost 109,000 deaths in Spain and six million worldwide). “We are aware that the pandemic wrote a sad point and a part for many Spaniards,” said the King, who recalled the high vaccination rate (more than 90% in Spain) that has allowed most people to continue with his life. “Vaccines have become one of the most important events in the history of universal health. In a short time, millions of people have been saved,” said Don Felipe, who also recalled the “many lessons” learned in this time, and that everything that the pandemic has revealed as relevant must be strengthened: the greatest investment in science, the greatest care for our elders, the greatest solidarity, the greatest strength of health systems and the greatest international cooperation in research. He has also recalled the applause at eight in the afternoon, a message of thanks “in those endless days of confinement.” “We will remember those who are not among us and honor the generosity of those who risked their lives to save others.” The King has thanked the work of the professionals, from the toilets who were on the front line, to the carriers, delivery personnel, cleaning personnel, teachers, the armed forces “and many more”.
The event ended around 9.40 with a piano performance of ‘Lucha de Gigantes’ by Antonio Vega (who comes to talk about the greatness of human beings) by the Madrid singer Alice Wonder and a round of applause from all the attendees.
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