The government is working on a draft ministerial order that will come into force next week

The government is working on a draft ministerial order that will come into force next week allowing parents to take their children out for the first time since the state of alarm was declared on March 14.

Under the latest regulations being considered, one parent would be able to go out with as many as three children, travel up to one kilometer from home and children would be allowed to run and not just walk as long as they respect social distancing.

The Education Ministry and Social Affairs Ministry, which is headed up by Unidas Podemos leader, and Deputy Prime Minister Pablo Iglesias are contributing to the final version which will come into force on Sunday the 26th April.

As his left-wing coalition marked 100 days in office yesterday, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez sought parliamentary approval to prolong the state of emergency until May 9, the third such extension.

With the epidemic seemingly past its peak, the lockdown could start to be phased out towards the end of May, though measures will be eased gradually, he told MPs.

A slowdown in infections and deaths means there is optimism. The official tally, however, fails to account for those who were more than likely killed by the virus but never tested.

The Madrid region has released its own figures, showing 4,275 more deaths, or 56% more than health ministry data. Nearly 4,000 of these were care home residents.

Nevertheless, officials are increasingly focused on restarting the flagging economy.

Madrid’s mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida said he was planning to ramp up public services and gradually reopen the capital’s famous terrace bars while minimising infection risk.

The wider Madrid region announced the closure of an ice rink used as a makeshift morgue for more than 1,100 people.

In another sign of potential recovery, carmaker Volkswagen’s Spanish SEAT plant, which employs around 15,000 people, said it plans to resume production from April 27, with 3,000 coronavirus tests a week on its workforce.

Nissan also says it will restart production in Barcelona from May 4.