Madrid streets quiet

Madrid’s streets were eerily quiet on Monday as Spaniards spent their first working day under a state of emergency which a minister said will need to be extended beyond the two weeks initially envisaged.

The government is also mulling whether to close borders to stem the contagion in Spain, which has Europe’s highest incidence of coronavirus after Italy.

Spain’s 47 million people have been under partial lockdown since Saturday night, allowed to leave their homes only to go to work, buy food or visit a pharmacy or hospital.

Out of the few people walking in largely deserted streets in Madrid or using the near-empty metro on Monday morning, many wore masks.