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Coronavirus pandemic
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Parts of the Spanish capital Madrid will be subject to lockdown restrictions to stem a surge in Covid-19 as cases in Europe continue to rise.
Starting Monday, more than 850,000 people in the Community of Madrid will face limits on travel and group size.
Spain has the highest number of coronavirus cases in Europe and Madrid is once again the most affected region.
Many countries in the Northern Hemisphere are preparing for a second wave of pandemic as winter approaches.
France recorded its highest number of new confirmed daily cases since the pandemic began, with 13,215, an increase of almost 3,000 more cases in 24 hours. Several cities, including Marseille and Nice, are imposing stricter restrictions.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that a second wave was now “inevitable.” Large parts of the north of England are now subject to large blockade measures.
- Dining at indoor restaurants will be banned in the Irish capital Dublin, and all non-essential travel will be discouraged, following an increase in recent cases.
- Denmark is reducing the number of public gatherings from 100 to 50 and ordering bars and restaurants to close early
- Entertainment venues and pubs in the Icelandic capital Reykjavik were ordered to close over the weekend.
What is happening in Madrid?
Spain now has 625,651 cases, according to Johns Hopkins University, and infection rates in the Madrid region are more than double the national average, the Spanish government says.
As of Monday, 37 of the most affected health districts in the region will be subject to lockdown restrictions.
Residents will only be allowed to leave their zone to go to work, school or seek medical attention. Social gatherings will be limited to six, public parks will be closed, and commercial businesses will be required to close by 10 p.m.
“There are 37 basic areas where the incidence is very high, more than 1,000 for every 100,000 people in the last 14 days,” said the head of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso.
“These areas have a particularly high population density and connectivity. We especially need measures to ensure that quarantines are observed.”
The affected areas are in some of Madrid’s poorest districts and, according to Reuters, residents feel abandoned, stigmatized and fearful that the new restrictions will deprive them of income.
A retiree in Vallecas, a southern district with a lower median income, a larger immigrant population and one of Madrid’s highest infection rates, told Reuters the healthcare system was paralyzed there.
“They have us here waiting, crowded, queues everywhere,” said Mari Paz González. “We are abandoned … They left us in the hands of God.”
One fifth of the beds in local hospitals are reportedly occupied by Covid-19 patients.
Spain was one of the European countries most affected by the first wave of infections and has lost more than 30,000 lives.
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