Madrid on COVID Lockdown With Police Checkpoints

Madrid is currently under a coronavirus lockdown to help curb the spread of the virus, according to the U.S. Sun.

Masked police officers in Madrid are conducting checkpoints at the city limits as the city has banned all non-essential trips.

Restaurants, which are limited to 50% occupancy, must close at 11 p.m. and stores at 10 p.m. local time.

Madrid residents are only able to leave town for medical or work reasons.

The new rules will lockdown roughly 4.5 million residents as Madrid's coronavirus cases climb to 730 cases per 100,000 people. That is compared to 300 cases per 100,00 people in the rest of Spain, which has the highest rate in the European Union.

Pedro Sánchez, the prime minister of Spain, said the new rules would reduce the risk of coronavirus cases reaching the country.

Madrid already had restrictions in place preventing social gatherings of more than six people. The city is revving the coronavirus spike in Spain, which has the highest number of coronavirus cases of any European country.

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