Spanish media report that the government is considering largely locking off the capital Madrid, against the will of the regional government. The newspaper El País and the broadcaster RTVE, among others, report that the government considers this necessary if the regional authorities do not decide to do so themselves.
Spain now has the highest infection rates in the EU; more than a third of all infections in the country are in the Madrid region. In the past week, about 18,000 infections were added. More than 40 neighborhoods in Madrid have already been closed, leaving one million Madrid with new restrictions.
Madrid’s right-wing regional government does not want to institute a general lockdown due to the economic consequences. Spain’s left-wing government considers the current measures insufficient and expect more action. “We have to listen to what scientists are saying. We have to look at the facts and act now,” Health Minister Salvador Illa said yesterday.
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