Rachel Stevens, FISM News

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The Madrid region had 741 coronavirus cases per 100,000 people in the two weeks to Oct. 7, according to the World Health Organization, making it Europe’s second most dense COVID-19 cluster after Andorra.

Reuters TV footage showed on Oct. 8 activity at hospitals and primary care health centers in the Spanish capital after a court struck down a government order imposing a partial lockdown on the city and nine satellite towns, ruling in favor of the Madrid region in a standoff with national authorities.

Under the health ministry’s order, Madrid regional authorities on Oct. 2 barred residents from leaving the area without a valid reason, and imposed other restrictive measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 contagion in one of Europe’s worst virus hotspots.

Regional government chief Isabel Diaz Ayuso had opposed the order however, saying it would ravage the region’s economy, also arguing the ministry had no power to impose such curbs on a region.

As of Monday Oct. 5 Spain became the first Western European nation to surpass 800,000 total coronavirus cases, health ministry data showed, and Madrid accounted for 35% of all cases. 

Sourced from Reuters, edited for brevity