Faced with the second wave of Covid-19, the Spanish government and the executive of the Madrid region announced on Tuesday
"an agreement in principle"
to toughen health restriction measures in the capital, which could also apply to d 'other areas of the country.
After several days of tension with the left-wing government of Pedro Sanchez, the right-wing regional executive
"accepted the government's recommendations"
urging it to tighten the screws, Spanish Minister of Health Salvador Illa said during a meeting. press conference.
Read also: Covid-19: overwhelmed, Spain tries to avoid re-containment
“Satisfied to have reached an agreement in principle with the Spanish government to tackle the battle against the virus together,”
commented the vice-president of the Madrid region Ignacio Aguado.
The capital is the epicenter of the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in Spain.
Nationwide, it has caused nearly 760,000 contaminations and more than 31,000 deaths, according to data from the Ministry of Health.
The draft agreement between the two executives provides for
"measures to limit mobility, social contacts, reception capacities and working hours,"
said Salvador Illa.
These new restrictions will be applied only in areas where three criteria will be met: an incidence greater than 500 contaminations per 100,000 inhabitants over the last two weeks, an intensive care unit occupancy rate greater than 35% and a positivity rate for patients. PCR screening tests greater than 10%.
The capital and most of the region of Madrid meet these criteria, with incidence rates exceeding 1,000 infections per 100,000 inhabitants in some places.
But other parts of the country could also be affected, depending on their health situation.
To enter into force, these new measures will have to be approved on Wednesday by all the 17 regions that make up Spain.
Encouraged by a
"favorable atmosphere"
among regional health officials, Salvador Illa said he was optimistic about the adoption of these restrictions.
More than a million inhabitants of the Madrid region can only leave their neighborhood for specific reasons such as going to work, going to the doctor or taking children to school.
