In statements to Europa Press, the president of the Spanish Association of Pediatricians has defended the attitude of the Spanish Government: children, like the rest of the population, have to be at home. He says that adults have to protect children, "children don't know if their friends are infected and so they can infect each other, even adults who relate to them without protective measures."

Asked about how confinement affects children, the pediatrician has pointed out that children are "hard" and that they are "able to avoid all these problems and all these inconveniences". Melado’s advice is to arrange a physical activity at home to maintain muscle mass. "In confinement it will hardly influence the muscle mass of children, it is a matter of six or eight weeks, but if the child moves a little and eats with common sense, it will have no negative effect."

Advisor to the Government of AEP

The Ministry of Health has urged the AEP to set up a working group to analyse the conditions for the release of children. A report is being prepared "because in addition to ensuring the well-being of children, it must be borne in mind that children are major transmitters of the disease and that they always have to be accompanied by an adult", says the AEP. This document will specify the children who must have a preference in departure and the circumstances of departure, as well as how to do it, "without any risk to them or to society as a whole".

"I don't know when these measures will be carried out, starting on the 26th, either on the 28th or even later," explained in the SER the president of the AEP, María José Mellado.