Spanish govt returns fines for breaking virus lockdown rules

MADRID (AP) — The Spanish government has ordered that all citizens who paid fines during a nearly 3-month state of emergency declared last year to slow the spread of the coronavirus be remunerated. The move follows a ruling by Spain’s top court earlier this year declaring as unconstitutional the country’s first state of emergency which sent all but essential citizens to their homes and paralyzed much of the economy from March 14 to June 21. Spain has reached nearly 5 million coronavirus cases and at least 87,000 deaths for COVID-19.