Laurence Dollimore
MADRID has ruled that all gyms, bars, clubs and restaurants in the region must be closed from Saturday to reduce the risk of coronavirus contagion.
The forced closure will remain in place until at least March 26, according to La Sexta.
They may open sooner if things rapidly improve.
The Madrid Hospitality Association said the closure of bars and restaurants will have devastating ‘economic effects’, but that it understood that in a ‘health emergency situation we all have to be responsible.’
According to a spokeswoman for the group, which represents more than 2,100 businesses, there will be many job losses due to the paralysis of the industry.
The new measures were announced by the regional president Isabel Diaz Ayuso after the region was the first to close all of its schools and education centres.
Madrid is the worst affected community in Spain, accounting for more than 2,000 cases.
Regional health minister Enrique Ruiz Escudero labelled the central region’s situation as ‘very worrying.’
There are now 3,921 cases of COVID-19 in Spain, see the latest list below.
CORONAVIRUS DATA IN SPAIN
Total : 3,921 diagnosed cases (90 deaths)
More than 2,000 in Madrid (40 dead)
417 in the Basque Country (14 dead)
319 in Catalunya (6 dead)
220 in La Rioja (2 dead)
158 in Andalucia
115 in Castilla-La Mancha (1 dead)
100 in the Valencian Community (1 dead)
92 in Castilla y León (1 dead)
92 in Navarra
68 in Asturias (1 dead)
80 in Aragon (7 dead)
64 in Galicia
51 in the Canary Islands
29 in Murcia
25 in Extremadura (1 dead)
22 in the Balearic Islands (1 dead)
16 in Cantabria
2 in Melilla
There have been 189 discharged
