ARCHIVED - 71 cases of coronavirus in Murcia on Sunday morning UPDATED 12:00

Case numbers have risen from 53 to 71 in the last few hours

So here we are, Spain is on lockdown, the streets are empty, shops, bars and restaurants are closed and all of us are sitting here holding our breath and watching to see how the coronavirus contagion rates respond during the next two weeks.

Most of us who are infected don´t know it yet, as the silent virus has spread, and most of us who have it, may not see any symptoms for several days to come, although we are infectious and will continue to spred the virus amongst anyone with whom we have close contact.

There  are cases on some residential urbanisations already, but we won´t say which because panicking will do no good in this situation; we're all locked down and need to stay locked down; no sneaking over the fence for a game of cards with the neighbours!

So that's why we're on lockdown, why bars, restaurants and shops are closed and the government is asking us to stay behind closed door for the next two weeks.

For many of us, this will mean bedding down with all those box sets we've been intending to watch for the last couple of years and business owners will have plenty of time to analyse their books and work out how the hell we're going to get through this, but heyho, we're all here and can only sit watching open-mouthed as the UK continues to run marathons and say thank goodness sensible steps have been taken to protect us all as this situation evolves.

We're not supposed to mix socially, but if you live next to someone who is alone and is vulnerable, shout over the fence, wave a flag at them and let them know they're not alone, you're there. 

The cases of coronavirus will continue to rise in the next two weeks due to the contagious cases already out there. 

At 12:00 on Sunday morning the Murcian regional health service confirmed that the number of cases has risen from 53 to 71 patients overnight, two of which are in intensive care, 12 in hospital and the remainder isolated at home with mild symptoms.

There are one and a half million of us living here in this region, so the situation is under control although the minister reiterated the need to observe hygiene.

The regional government has increased the number of people manning the  900 12 12 12 coronavirus hotline to 35 to cope with the volume of calls.

The regional health minister, Manuel Villegas, has requested that we all respect the lockdown and try not to panic. Every contact we have increases the risk of contagion, and his major concern is that we rush into food shops to panic buy, coming into contact with other shoppers in the process. If you have to shop he says, do so calmly, limit the number of people who go shopping, and try to avoid unnecessary contact with other shoppers.There is no problem with supplies, he reiterated, no shortages, so be calm, don´t panic and be sensible with your shopping. Plan a few meals, rummage through your store cupboard and minimise the amount of times you have to shop.

Fortunately the internet is a great way to stay in touch without contracting coronavirus, so:

Follow Murcia Today on Facebook to keep up to date with all the latest updates locally for the Region of Murcia and the main information for the rest of Spain: https://www.facebook.com/MurciaToday/. Please note, Facebook is limiting the number of posts we are able to make in local groups, so all updates will be posted on this main page and may not be shared into many local groups. PLEASE help to support the flow and sharing of information by following this page and sharing the information into groups to which you have access.

Believe me, we're also amongst the many businesses wondering how to survive this crisis!

What to do if you are in the Region of Murcia and believe you may have contracted the virus

The regional government has set up a special helpline to supply information to members of the public (900 121212), and also urges people to call the 112 emergency services line if they suspect that they may have contracted the virus rather than going straight to hospital or to a medical centre. Medical staff will be sent to your home to test for the virus.

The Region’s public hospitals have limited the number of visitors to just one per patient.

Sensible precautions

The advice being issued to members of the public by medical authorities all over the world coincides on the following points:

- Wash hands frequently with either soap and water or a sanitiser gel

- Catch coughs and sneezes with disposable tissues – and throw the tissues away immediately after use before immediately washing your hands!

- If you don’t have a tissue, use your sleeve – and wash the item of clothing used at the next opportunity

- AVOID touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands

- AVOID close contact with people who are unwell

- Don´t panic!