- Title: Madrid shuts down all non essential shops over coronavirus
- Date: 14th March 2020
- Summary: MADRID, SPAIN (MARCH 14, 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SPANISH STORE CHAIN 'EL CORTE INGLES' MALL CLOSED VARIOUS OF CLOSED CAFETERIA BAG STORE CLOSED SIGN SEEN BEHIND CLOSED GATE READING IN SPANISH: "Because and for the risk of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) will remain shut down to the public for the next 15 days." SIGN AND CLOSED GATE CLOSED SHOPS SIGN READING AT SHOP ENTRANCE READING IN SPANISH: "For external reasons we are forced to close our establishment during two weeks." QUIET TRAFFIC AT MADRID´S GOYA STREET CALLAO SQUARE WITH A FEW PEOPLE FEW PEOPLE WALKING BY CALLE PRECIADOS SIGN ON BUILDING READING IN SPANISH: "MADRID, #ISTAYATHOME" CLOSED ELECTRONIC SHOP FEW PEOPLE WALKING BY CALLE PRECIADOS POLICE VARIOUS OF MAN SETTING UP NEWSPAPER KIOSK (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) TOURIST FROM TENERIFE, JESSICA, SAYING: "This all looks terrible, everything is super empty, we found a supermarket opened but nothing else, and we are not from here. I am from Tenerife and today we are supposed to come back if we are allowed to take the flight. We will see if there is luck because this is looking quite bad. Madrid is not like this." (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOURIST FROM BRAZIL, ALAN, SAYING: "It´s like a desert, sort of Walking Dead scenery town. I have come here before and it is completely different today. We came for the weekend but we didn't expect it to be this empty." WOMAN WEARING MASK WALKING ON STREET MAN WEARING MASK WALKING WOMAN COVERING HER NOSE AND MOUTH WITH SCARF FEW CARS AT MADRID´S GRAN VIA BOULEVARD CALLAO SQUARE ALMOST EMPTY
- Embargoed: 28th March 2020 11:01
- Keywords: COVID-2019 Madrid streets Spain national emergency closed shops coronavirus
- Location: MADRID, SPAIN
- City: MADRID, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001C50WZLZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Closed businesses and almost empty streets were seen in Madrid on Saturday (March 14) after major Spanish regions shut shops, bars and restaurants, car plants ground to a halt and Easter parades were cancelled as Spain entered a 15-day state of emergency on Friday, in a sharp escalation of its fight against the coronavirus.
Madrid closed bars, restaurants and shops, except for food shops, petrol stations and others selling essential items from Saturday until at least March 26.
Bars and restaurants would still be able to provide home delivery services or have food picked up at the premises.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the number of cases could top 10,000 by next week - more than double the current level - and asked citizens to play their part.
Spain has the second-highest number of coronavirus cases in Europe after Italy. The current Spanish tally stands at 4,231, up about 1,000 cases from Thursday (March 12). About 120 people have died.
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.
(Production: Guillermo Martinez, Miguel Gutierrez) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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