National
Government declares state of alarm in Madrid and locks down city
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The order came into force on Friday to prevent residents from leaving the city for the 12 October holiday weekend
Spain's central government has put an end to insitutional confrontation and approved the declaration of a state of alarm for the region of Madrid from this Friday. This allows prime minister Pedro Sánchez's government to take control of Covid-19 measures and impose lockdown restrictions on the Spanish capital and surrounding towns.
The decision brings an end to 24 hours of legal limbo after the top regional court declared the restrictions on movement imposed two weeks ago in the region to be illegal on Thursday. These restrictions were ordered to be reinstated from 3pm on Friday.
The lockdown measures will prevent people from leaving their districts or municipalities, apart from essential journeys, and are intended to avoid the predicted mass exodus from the capital for this long weekend to celebrate 12 October (Hispanic Day and the feast of Our Lady of the Pillar).
