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Madrid will keep its parks and green spaces closed to the public although the central government allows citizens to go for walks and exercise this weekend. This has been stated by the mayor of the capital, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, who has opted to apply "very strict" measures to "avoid crowds" because "the pandemic is not defeated."

In an interview on Telemadrid, the councilor pointed out that the municipal government will avoid "the images that forced parks and green areas to be closed" when the state of alarm was declared because the agglomerations "facilitate outbreaks" of coronavirus . "We have to combine the small steps with the guarantee of the best security that requires no crowding," added the mayor, justifying that this past weekend, when the first outings were allowed for children, the parks of the capital continued closed.

The mayor has been aware that this measure may generate "a certain misunderstanding" among citizens , but he has asserted that as long as "the virus has not been defeated," the municipal corporation "will avoid taking measures that could generate crowds." And there he has placed the parks and green spaces of the capital that have been closed to the public for a month and a half .

Some parks and green areas that Almeida has indicated that "everyone would prefer to see open" , which is why he has described the decision to keep them closed as "very difficult" . "The conditions in which you can go out to do sports must be very strict and guaranteeing the safety of people," he argued regarding the decision of the City Council of the capital.

The City Council decided to close all the parks and green spaces in the capital -Retiro, Casa de Campo, Sabatini Gardens, Quinta de los Molinos, Fuente del Berro ...- on Saturday, March 14, a day before it came into force the state of alarm, given the crowds that took place in these areas of the capital, which forced the intervention of the Municipal Police with megaphones to expel people.

Since 4:00 p.m. on that Saturday, March 14, these places have been completely closed to the public while the citizens complied with confinement decreed by the state of alarm.

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  • Madrid
  • José Luis Martínez-Almeida
  • Coronavirus
  • Covid 19
  • State of alarm

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