First days of new regulations in Madrid sees residents and businesses in turmoil

NEARLY five million people from ten Madrid municipalities have been restricted from leaving and entering their municipality since Friday night due to the new regulations of the Ministry of Health.

The new regulations, announced by the President of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, are to be appealed before the courts as they have created a political war and uncertainty for residents.

People’s lives have been thrown back into confusion over these first days of closure, the largest since the beginning of the de-escalation, which have triggered cancellations of reservations, plans and trips.

Now when you walk down the street people are not only afraid of the virus, but also of the new regulations. They are not just affecting people who are within the municipality, but also those who are outside of them, leaving dozens of activities in limbo.

The hospitality industry in the ten restricted areas has also begun to notice the effects of the closure, the reduction in capacity – which is limited to half and six people per table – and the change in hours, having to stop serving customers at 10pm. A measure that, according to the Madrid Business Confederation (CEIM), can produce losses of 600 million euros per week, that is, a 15 per cent drop in GDP in the Community of Madrid.