Spain's cabinet has approved the extension of measures to protect the most vulnerable from economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic, including a moratorium on home evictions until November, AFP reports.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's coalition government first approved the package of social measures in March 2020 during the height of the first wave of the pandemic in Spain, one of Europe's hardest-hit nations.

The “social shield” includes a ban on leaving impoverished families without water, electricity and other utilities and a moratorium on forced residential evictions for those who saw their income vanish due to the pandemic.

The measures were to expire on August 9 but Sanchez's cabinet extended them until October 31. The country of around 47 million people has reported 4.5m confirmed Covid-19 cases and over 81,000 deaths.