Spanish govt bans layoffs, says coronavirus not an excuse to fire people

Spain has recorded a total of 64,059 confirmed cases, almost 50,000 of which are still active

The Spanish government has banned layoffs during the coronavirus pandemic in the country, saying it had put enough measures in place for temporary leaves to be granted to employees instead.

Employment Minister Yolanda Diaz told a press conference on Friday that nobody was "allowed to use Covid-19 as an excuse to fire people", reports Efe news.

"It is not necessary to fire anyone in this country, this crisis is a parenthesis, we believe there are sufficient mechanisms in this country for people to use public resources responsibly," she added.

Diaz said the government had simplified the process of placing employees on temporary leave,