- Title: Madrid half empty as Spain enters state of emergency over coronavirus
- Date: 13th March 2020
- Summary: MADRID, SPAIN (MARCH 13, 2020) (REUTERS) MADRID RESIDENTS JAVIER AND CRISTINA GETTING MARRIED AT PLAZA MAYOR, CRISTINA THROWING BOUQUET / WOMAN PICKING IT UP FROM FLOOR JAVIER AND CRISTINA GETTING OUT OF BUILDING AFTER WEDDING VARIOUS OF JAVIER AND CRISTINA BEING CONGRATULATED BY FAMILY AND FRIENDS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MADRID RESIDENT GETTING MARRIED, CRISTINA, SAYING: "We thought that it wasn't going to take place so, although it is not our dream scenario because only the godfathers and our parents were allowed to go inside we are a bit happy." MADRID RESIDENT GETTING MARRIED JAVIER, SAYING: "Well we have to be reasonable and do what authorities say. That is it, it doesn't matter. For us it is a very special day." MADRID RESIDENT GETTING MARRIED CRISTINA, SAYING: "We have to be responsible. We will have to celebrate in June that we have a big party set up." PEOPLE EATING AT A TERRACE AT PLAZA MAYOR WHILE WAITER REMOVES TABLES AND CHAIRS VARIOUS OF WAITERS REMOVING TERRACE FURNITURE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) WAITER, FABIO PERSIVALI, SAYING: "Well, I'm collecting the terrace because the owners have told us that the city hall has sent a mail saying that before 14h we have to remove the terrace due to coronavirus. There is panic on the streets, we had no clients yesterday or today. So that is what I'm doing. In the end restaurants are the most in contact with clients. Here at Plaza Mayor that is a tourist area tourist are here at all time. With this temperature it should be packed but you can see how it is. Plaza Mayor is empty, collecting terraces, without clients, terrible." VARIOUS OF WAITERS COLLECTING TABLES AND CHAIRS (SOUNDBITE) (English) WOMAN FROM WASHINGTON, USA TEMPORARY WORKING IN SPAIN, ABBY, SAYING: "I can still go to stores and things like that however the museums are closing down so if I want to take my friends over to see Prado or Reina Sofia I can't do that anymore so that is definitely hindering the experience a little bit but we can still go outside and enjoy the day and everything. It is not too bad." CALLAO SQUARE ALMOST EMPTY DELIVERYMAN WEARING MASK AND GLOVES PRECIADOS STREET ALMOST EMPTY WOMAN WEARING FACE MASK AS SHE WALKS THROUGH PRECIADOS STREET ALMOST EMPTY PRECIADOS STREET MAN WEARING FACE MASK AS HE WALKS THROUGH PRECIADOS STREET REFLECTION OF MAN WEARING FACE MASK NATIONAL SPANISH BLIND ORGANIZATION (ONCE) LOTTERY SELLER WEARING FACE MASK AND GLOVES VARIOUS OF SOL SQUARE HALF EMPTY VARIOUS OF 'ONCE' LOTTERY SELLER IGNACIO ROJO WASHING HIS HANDS WITH ALCOHOL BASED HAND SANITIZER (SOUNDBITE) 'ONCE' LOTTERY SELLER WEARING FACE MASK AND GLOVES, IGNACIO ROJO, SAYING: "Friday 13th, number 13 is the one we sell the most, we used to sell up to 500 tickets and today, counting this client next to me this is the third ticket that I have sold today. Normally our daily sells are between 300 or 400 euros and now we are doing 30 euros, 40 euros." PEOPLE PASSING BY IN THE BACKGROUND, ROJO WEARING FACE MASK (SOUNDBITE) ONCE LOTTERY SELLER WEARING FACE MASK AND GLOVES, IGNACIO ROJO, SAYING: "Gloves, face mask and not because I had coronavirus but because people passing by could be infected. I also use it because I don't know, the incubation process of the virus is 14 days and I can be spreading it to my clients." PRECIADOS STREET ALMOST EMPTY MAN WEARING FACE MASK PUSHING BIKE THROUGH PRECIADOS STREET WOMAN WEARING FACE MASK IN TOURISTIC BUS EMPTY PLATFORMS AT ATOCHA TRAIN STATION VARIOUS OF WORKERS CLEANING TRAIN, ONE WITH HER FACE COVERED STEWARDESS WAITING ON THE PLATFORM PEOPLE PASSING IN FRONT OF A SIGN READING "MADRID PUERTA DE ATOCHA" REFLECTION OF PEOPLE PASSING BY TRAIN VARIOUS OF TRAVELERS WEARING FACE MASK EMPTY PLATFORMS STEWARDESS WAITING ON PLATFORM TRAIN LEAVING STATION ALMOST EMPTY INTERIOR OF ATOCHA TRAIN STATION VARIOUS OF NUN WEARING FACE MASK SEATED NEXT TO TROLLEY VARIOUS OF LINE OF TAXIS WAITING FOR COSTUMERS AT ATOCHA (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) TAXI DRIVER, HECTOR RUIZ, SAYING: "My colleagues and I have been waiting here for two hours and the first hour of the morning should be the strongest time. We have seen photos and videos of AVE (high speed trains) and they are completely empty. I think that 20 per cent or less full." TAXI SIGN CASTELLANA STREET ALMOST EMPTY PEOPLE CROSSING THE STREET CASTELLANA STREET ALMOST EMPTY
- Embargoed: 27th March 2020 14:53
- Keywords: Madrid region coronavirus in Spain coronavirus outbreak health tourists
- Location: MADRID, SPAIN
- City: MADRID, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001C4VYC07
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Spain will be in a state of emergency for the next 15 days to better combat the coronavirus, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Friday (March 13), in a dramatic increase to the policy response that will allow authorities to confine people and ration goods.
The state of emergency, which Sanchez said will formally be decided by a cabinet meeting on Saturday (March 14), will give the government power to take wide-ranging measures including temporarily occupying factories or any other premises except private homes.
Outdoor restaurants and bars in the Madrid region -- Spain's wealthiest -- were preparing to shut down after the region decided to close restaurants, bars and shops from Saturday, media including Efe news agency said, with only supermarkets and pharmacies allowed to remain open.
A couple getting married in Plaza Mayor said even though their wedding was different to how they had planned it, it was still a special day for them.
A lottery seller said Friday 13 is usually one of the most popular days for the lottery, but that only three clients had come to buy tickets today.
Sanchez said the number of cases in Spain could jump to over 10,000 as early as next week but added he was confident the country would defeat the virus, urging all citizens to do their part.
(Production: Raul Cadenas, Silvio Castellanos, May Ponzo) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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