In the Vallecas district of Madrid, September 17, 2020. -

VÌtor Lerena / EFE / SIPA

Confin or not confine?

After announcing on Wednesday a targeted re-containment in some more affected areas of the Spanish capital, the regional authorities of Madrid, epicenter of the Covid-19 pandemic in Spain, backed down on Thursday.

Antonio Zapatero, number two of the regional health authorities in Madrid, spoke to the press on Wednesday of a “confinement by health zones” - on which each patient in his neighborhood or his city depends - “having the greatest incidence” of new cases relative to their population.

A concern in some neighborhoods

These words immediately aroused concern in neighborhoods to the south of the capital and neighboring towns likely to be affected.

These neighborhoods and cities are characterized by very high population density and low income.

But on Thursday, the justice official for the autonomous region of Madrid, Enrique Lopez, acknowledged that the word containment "generates anxiety" and pointed out that the regional government only plans to "reduce mobility and contact", but without strictly confining the population.

"We have to send a message of calm," he added during an interview with Onda Cero radio.

Clarification at the end of the week

The regional "ministry" of health told AFP that a press conference would take place on Friday to announce new measures to come into force between Saturday and Monday in order to slow the spread of the virus.

"We must do whatever it takes to control the situation in Madrid," Spain's Health Minister Salvador Illa insisted on Thursday on public radio RNE.

Spain, one of the countries most affected by the pandemic, recently passed the mark of 600,000 cases and 30,000 deaths.

Madrid and its region constitute, by far, the area where the pandemic is most active.

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