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Madrid will become the first European capital to return to the blockade after the new coronavirus restrictions imposed by the Spanish government
Some 4.8 million residents in the Spanish capital will not be able to leave the area after the city suffered one of the highest infection rates of all regions in Europe, with 850 cases per 100,000 inhabitants according to the World Organization of health.
The new rules, which will begin at 10:00 p.m. on Friday, will see the city borders closed to non-essential travel, with parks and play areas closed, gatherings limited to six people, and bars and restaurants ordered to close at 11 p.m.
The measures ordered by the Spanish Ministry of Health come after Spain recorded a total of 789,932 coronavirus cases as of Friday, an increase of 11,325 from Thursday.
Residents in the Spanish capital of Madrid will not be able to leave the area under the new coronavirus restrictions imposed by the Government. In the image: A traveler walks through the Adolfo Suárez-Madrid Barajas international airport.
Health workers of the Madrid Emergency Service (SUMMA) perform antigen tests on residents of Vallecas, Madrid
Sonny van den Holstein, owner of the Sanissimo restaurant, said: ”Madrileños ” were exasperated by political disputes between the central and regional governments, and anxious to know if the measures would work.
“We have been wearing masks for eight months and without discos or parties, and there is still contagion. So what kind of impact will these restrictions have?
“People are confused, they hesitate to leave … they are afraid,” he added, when a customer called to cancel a reservation.
The conservative-led Madrid area authority reluctantly complied with the order of the socialist-led central government to ban travel except for school, work, health, or shopping.
Famous for its nightlife and generally lively tourist flow, Madrid’s bars and restaurants must close at 11pm instead of the previous 1am curfew, while restaurants, gyms and shops have capacity reduced by half. .
Gatherings of more than six people are still prohibited indoors and outdoors, but parks and play areas may remain open this time.
The measures expand a lockdown that already exists in the poorest areas of the city with high infection rates.
Other busy European cities have stepped up measures in recent days, including limiting the number of restaurants and making face masks mandatory in more places, but none have gone as far as Madrid.
The new lock will last at least 14 days and could be extended if necessary.
A man looks at the arrivals screen at Adolfo Suarez-Madrid Barajas International Airport as the city prepares to enter a local lockdown
A team of health workers prepares to take swabs from people in Vallecas, Madrid, as the capital registers a growing number of coronavirus cases
However, conservative regional chief Isabel Díaz Ayuso has launched a legal challenge, fearing economic damage and accusing the central government of exceeding its mandate by ordering the measures.
With the Madrid Barajas international airport open, Díaz Ayuso tweeted his anger with the prime minister: “Starting tomorrow you will be able to get to Madrid from Berlin but not from Parla. Thanks for the chaos, Pedro Sánchez.
In its appeal, Parla, a town on the outskirts of Madrid, argues that the measures do not adequately combat the pandemic and would cost the local economy 750 million euros (879 million dollars) a week.
But Sánchez said the only goal was to save lives and protect health. “All decisions are made based on the criteria of scientists,” he said at a summit in Brussels.
Under the new restrictions, city borders closed to non-essential travel and meetings will be limited to six people. In the image: People queue for an antigen test in Vallecas, Madrid
With 850 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, according to the World Health Organization, the Madrid area has the worst rate in Europe.
Spain registered a total of 789,932 coronavirus cases as of Friday, an increase of 11,325 from Thursday. There have been 32,086 deaths.
Daily deaths are now at their highest levels since early May, but well below the late March record of nearly 900.
Spain last month The Nation’s Health Minister, Salvador Illa, said the government recommended tougher measures, including a partial closure, for all of Madrid and its inhabitants.
He also said that the contagion incidence threshold for deciding which suburban city to confine should be lowered to 500 cases per 100,000 residents, which is roughly double the national average.
Saying that ‘the shortcuts were not valid’, Illa told reporters: ‘I don’t want to hide that very difficult and complicated weeks await us, but we will be successful if we do what we have to do.’
However, Madrid leader Isabel Díaz Ayuso rejected requests for a new closure in the Spanish capital and said that “the solution is not a total confinement” and demanded more help from the Spanish government.
