COVID-19

Four Canary Islands, including Tenerife and Gran Canaria, were put on a "red traffic light" alert on Saturday over fresh coronavirus outbreaks. On the islands with a red traffic light alert in place, mass gatherings of more than 10 people are no longer allowed. In hotel, restaurant and terrace establishments, a midnight closing time curfew has been put in place. No new customers will be allowed after 11pm. The red […]

he Spanish government has urged authorities in Madrid to tighten coronavirus restrictions across the city, warning of a "serious risk" to residents if they do not. Madrid extended restrictions in Covid-19 hotspots on Friday but rejected calls for a city-wide lockdown. On Saturday Spain's Health Minister Salvador Illa said current restrictions don't go far enough. He said it was "time to act with determination" to control the pandemic. Spain's regions […]

Health Minister Salvador Illa has warned that “there are tough weeks up ahead for Madrid,” and said that “it is necessary to act resolutely to take control of the pandemic in the region.” Regional premier Isabel Díaz Ayuso, of the Popular Party (PP), is expected to announce new restrictions today that will affect areas with a high coronavirus incidence.  For now, however, according to the Madrid justice chief, Enrique López, […]

A leading Spanish epidemiologist has said the country 'deserves' to go back into a full national lockdown after easing measures caused a spike in Covid infections.  Juan Martinez, the ex-director of public health for Madrid which is itself at the heart of the new wave of infections, said the harsh measures are 'probably' the only way to bring the virus back under control. He spoke out after Prime Minister Pedro […]

Authorities in the Madrid region have requested urgent help to hire hundreds of foreign doctors and reinforce police, as they considered widening a partial coronavirus lockdown to more areas as cases rise. The region is the hardest-hit in Spain by a second wave of the virus and has restricted movement between and within some districts that are home to about 850,000 people. Ignacio Aguado, the deputy head of the regional […]

The coronavirus pandemic continues to rapidly expand across Madrid, the regional government says 16 health areas in the region have a Covid-19 incident rate above 1,000 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Despite this, these hotspots are NOT among those subject to the new restrictions which came into effect in 37 basic health areas on Monday. A basic health area is much smaller than a city district and can include several primary […]

The Spanish Health Ministry is finalising a deal with regional governments to reduce quarantine times from 14 days to 10 for those who have been in close contact with people who tested positive for Covid-19. Health Minister Salvador Illa confirmed that central and regional authorities had been discussing the measure and said that “there is a broad consensus, though not a unanimous agreement.” However the Catalan government have now announced […]

An opera performance in Madrid has been cancelled after it had already started, when the reduced crowd protested that they had been seated in close proximity to one another. A Verdi opera was being performed at the Teatro Real in the Spanish capital when the audience seated in the upper tiers complained that they had been seated without social distancing being respected. A spokesperson for the theatre defended the venue's […]

Madrid’s regional government chief has requested the army’s help to fight the coronavirus surge in and around the Spanish capital where local authorities have ordered a partial lockdown of some poorer areas, prompting protests during the weekend. After meeting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in an attempt to reduce contagion in Spain’s worst-hit region, Isabel Diaz Ayuso said Madrid needs help from the army for disinfection and to strengthen local police […]