Madrid, Spain | Tue, September 22, 2020 | 07:21 pm
I would recommend that Madrid citizens restrict their movements to the full, follow the steps dictated by the health authorities in the area scrupulously and reduce their movements to what is necessary and their interactions with those closest to them,’ said Health Minister Salvador Illa during an interview with Cadena Ser radio. His comments come a day after a partial lockdown came.
The restrictions that came into effect on Monday forbid individuals from entering or leaving the affected areas, with the exception of employment, schooling or obtaining medical treatment, however they can travel within their area freely. All the affected areas accounted for more than COVID-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants — approximately five times the national average, which is in itself the highest in the EU. The Regional Government of Madrid, which is responsible for health care, has also decreased from ten to six the maximum size of authorized social gatherings in the city.
Many epidemiologists have expressed doubts about the efficacy of the new Madrid steps, but Illa said he believed that they could help contain the spread of the virus and that imposing a state of emergency in the area would not be appropriate, a move that would allow the government to confine citizens to their homes. Since the central government ended its state of emergency on 21 June, the elimination of all national restrictions on lockdowns, public health duty and the control of the pandemic have been left in the hands of the 17 autonomous regions of Spain.