Spain’s Health Minister, Salvador Illa, has warned the country’s authorities to tighten restrictions in the coronavirus hotspot, else the capital’s residents and surrounding regions were at “serious risk”.
Spain’s capital, Madrid, extended a partial lockdown on September 24, 2020, in several dozen districts with high infection rates, rejecting national government recommendations for a city-wide lockdown as cases continue to surge in the capital.
“Madrid is in a situation of serious risk and it’s time to act with determination,” the health minister told a news conference.
“There is a serious risk for inhabitants, for the neighbouring regions,” he said while calling on the capital’s regional authorities to “put the health of citizens first”.
Spain’s coronavirus cases rose by 12,272 as at 24th September, 2020 from the previous day to 716,481, the highest number in Western Europe.
More than 31,000 people have died from COVID-19.
Spaniards endured one of Europe’s strictest lockdowns from March until May, when they were not allowed to leave their homes.
But after restrictions were totally lifted on June 21, the pandemic has surged again.
