News

Madrid residents consider new Covid-19 restrictions to be discriminatory

Madrid, Sep 20 (EFE).- Residents of neighbourhoods in south Madrid face the second day since new restrictions were implemented to stem a recent spike of coronavirus infections. Most of them consider these restrictions to be discriminatory.From Monday, close to a million people in six districts in the Spanish capital and another seven municipalities in the area will be banned from leaving these zones, which are home to 13 percent of Madrid’s population and a quarter of the city’s infections, except to travel to work or other essential activities.FOOTAGE OF THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF VALLECAS IN MADRID. SOUNDBITES OF:-MARI ÁNGELES, SHOPKEEPER:"Anyway, the new measures...I think it is not very effective because where groups of people would really be 'controlled' in the avenue, in the park over there so I don't see it. It is also true that this is the first day, we have to wait and see. In my case, there is any problem of coming from an area which is not under lockdown. As soon as I can go to my workplace, I have no problems at all.""People don't like the measures because they say it doesn't make sense they can go to work in areas which are not under lockdown but they have to be under lockdown (in their neighbourhoods) and they can't go for a walk...and also the fact that there are people in the streets and (authorities) don't control that. People don't support the measures, this is what they say." -NEIGHBOUR 1:"The truth is... if authorities have to put people under lockdown they should have put all the country. Because it doesn't make sense that you can sit with six people in a bar and the next day you meet with another group of six so there's a mixture of people...These days I don't see anybody controlling here..."-NEIGHBOUR 2:"Well, people have to work. We have to go outside with our grandchildren...I think it's terrible. But we can't change it and we have to obey."-NEIGHBOUR 3:"I think the measures are excessive because if there are not many people in the streets we shouldn't have to stay at home."-NEIGHBOUR 4:"We went outside to walk with the dog as we do every day because I don't know where I am or am not allowed to go. Because old people like me, we don't have a computer and we don't know where we are or aren't allowed to go. we are here in the neighbourhood and we always try to wear our mask because have a look there. Those people should be controlled, they are not even wearing a mask. I don't think this kind of discrimination is fair. I would rather they had put all of us under lockdown."