ARCHIVED - Coronavirus closes schools in Madrid as Spain reaches 1204 cases and 28 dead

Drastic measures introduced in Madrid and the Basque Country as the number of cases soars

Monday appears to have marked a turning point in the development of the coronavirus epidemic in Spain, as relatively drastic measures were introduced in some areas of the country in response to the exponential increase in the numbers of new cases over the preceding couple of days.

By 19.00 on Monday the number of cases confirmed in Spain had risen to 1,204, having multiplied by 4 since Friday evening, with almost half of them in the region of Madrid (577). A further 149 had been confirmed in the Basque Country and just over 100 each in La Rioja and Catalunya, but such is the speed with which the situation is changing at present that these figures are out of date almost as soon as they are published. The numbers published by the national Ministry of Health often lag behind those issued by regional health authorities, and while the latest data include a total of 28 coronavirus-related deaths and 30 patients given the all-clear after overcoming the infection it is almost inconceivable that either of those figures will remain constant during Tuesday.

While Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez promises an official announcement regarding nationwide policy during Tuesday, the regional governments of Madrid and the Basque Country took matters into their own hands on Monday. In the Basque city of Vitoria and the town of Labastida all schools are closed as of Tuesday morning for at least the next two weeks, and in the region of Madrid classes have been suspended for a total of approximately 1.5 million students starting on Wednesday morning.

In all of these areas the authorities are calling on companies to allow employees to work from home wherever possible as the national government’s policy is upgraded from one of “containment” to “reinforced containment”. In practical terms the suspension of activity in schools and universities is the most eye-catching of the measures introduced, the rationale being that while children are not considered to be the most at risk from Covid-19 their role as carriers is an important one: by no means are they banned from going out to the local playground, but efforts are being made to ensure that they are not crowded together into classrooms, school dining rooms and communal washrooms and toilets.

Apart from the closure of schools and requests for businesses to allow working flexible hours and working from home, other measures introduced with almost immediate effect in Madrid include the following:

- Non-urgent operations and diagnostic tests in hospitals may be postponed as the coronavirus epidemic places an addition strain on the health service.

- Extra beds are to be made available in hospitals.

- Routine medical appointments will be fulfilled in patients’ homes as far as possible.

- Members of the public are advised to avoid travelling unless it is absolutely necessary.

- The elderly and chronically ill are advised to seek care outside special homes, residences and other centres.

In Madrid the infection rate has reached 7.04 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, a level almost matched in the Basque Country (6.75) and exceeded at a local level by part of La Rioja (25.57), while the national average currently stands at 2.14 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. In Andalucía, where the rate is “only” 0.64, there are already calls being made for the Semana Santa processions of early April and other forthcoming major events to be cancelled this year, but the authorities are keen to await the developments of the next couple of weeks before rushing into decisions of this kind.

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