MADRID — Spain’s government is considering which of the regions can rollback lockdown measures next week.
The regional authorities of Madrid, hardest hit by the coronavirus, are pushing the government to permit them to relax restrictions. However, that situation appears to have led to the resignation of its regional director of public health on Thursday. Madrid’s regional chief Isabel Díaz Ayuso told Spanish state broadcaster TVE on Friday the capital was prepared. She says, “for there to be no more infections there would have been zero movements and that would lead to (economic) ruin.”
Government deputy Prime Minister Pablo Iglesias says it’s possible Madrid would have to wait, accusing Díaz Ayuso of “wanting to make propaganda from something as serious as saving lives.”
Madrid leads Spain with 8,500 confirmed deaths from the virus that has killed over 26,000 people across the country. Officials in Catalonia, the second-hardest hit area, have said they are not ready to move forward with the rollback Spain reported 221 deaths on Friday, down from daily totals of more than 900 deaths in last month.
