The Spanish Supreme Court heard a complaint on Monday from more than 3,000 relatives of those who have died from coronavirus in Spain. The complaint is against Mr Sánchez and the other 22 members of the Council of Ministers alleging they mismanaged the pandemic response. Eleven lawyers from all over Spain have filed the complaints before the Second Chamber of the Supreme Court against all members of the Council of Ministers for having allowed, by action or omission, the spread of the pandemic and the death of these people from the virus.

The signatories of the lawsuit have warned it could be expanded to include crimes of prevarication and omission of the duty of relief.

The scope of the lawsuit could call into question the actions of the director of the Centre for Coordination of Health Emergencies, Fernando Simón, and other Health advisers as necessary cooperators in the Spanish government’s coronavirus response.

The 3,268 people represented by the complaint have lost 3,274 relatives as a result of the pandemic.

However, so far only 116 families have appeared before the court, “given that the rest have not been able to obtain” the Medical Death Certificate required to prove the cause of death.

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Among other issues, they denounce “the irresponsible and negligent inaction and late and disastrous action” by the 23 members of the Government in the management and evolution of the pandemic.

Referring to Spain’s response to the pandemic the text in the complaint read: “A health crisis that has been handled with decisions and verbal orders that contradict the measures envisaged to curb infections.

“This in turn has contributed in a powerful way to the disproportionate increase in the number of victims that, possibly, got infected in the health centres themselves, in which dantesque scenes of overcrowding of patients occurred, thus creating a perfect setting for the spread of the virus.”

The Zaballos Foundation, which is chaired by Emilia Zaballos and which has joined the initiative said: “What has happened with the COVID-19 pandemic is very serious”.

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He added: “The responsibilities, from our point of view, are very clear.

“Now it is up to the justice system to decide.”

Today the Spanish ministry of health reports 176 new fatalities and 426 new infections in the last 24 hours.

Thus, the total number of cases in Spain amounts to 228,030 and that deaths from coronavirus stands at 26,920.

The figures show that Spain’s daily coronavirus death toll has fallen to the lowest in seven weeks.

The country is now beginning to emerge from one of Europe’s strictest lockdowns.

The first phase of easing the lockdown will include allowing people in selected areas to move around their localities.

Gatherings of up to ten people will be allowed but social distancing measures must continue to be respected.

Additional reporting by Maria Ortega.