Madrid under new local lockdown, Paris on the edge as 2nd wave sweeps Europe

Countries across Europe are re-imposing local lockdowns and insisting on new restrictions to fight the second wave of infections sweeping the continent.

Many of these local lockdowns are being vigorously opposed by the affected cities.

Madrid city authorities tried to stop the country’s federal government imposing fresh lockdown restrictions by taking them to court.

The courts rejected their pleas and the federal government has now put the city back in lockdown, with people unable to leave or enter the area.

Madrid’s justice minister has now said the lockdown will cost the city’s economy €8 billion (RM40 billion).

Spain is trying to control the most serious second wave of Covid-19 infections in Europe, with 10,000 new cases being registered every day.

Over the past two weeks around 700 people out of every 100,000 in Madrid have been infected. By comparison, in the hard-hit UK the infection rate is roughly 100 per 100,000, according to the BBC.

Madrid may be the worst hit but other cities are not far behind.

The French government is saying the pandemic is getting worse in Paris, and so the capital is now in danger of having to go back into lockdown.

French Health Minister Olivier Véran said that if the deteriorating situation is confirmed over the weekend, “we will not have any choice but to place Paris and its closest suburbs in maximum alert category as soon as Monday”.