Madrid remains in Phase 0

With many parts of Spain advancing into Phase 1 of the country's de-escalation plan, life in Madrid remains the same, which means staying in Phase 0. That's the decision of the central government after evaluating the state of cases in the Community of Madrid and following a meeting with health advisers and the country's autonomous communities. The Community of Madrid will not enter into the next phase, as had been petitioned by the body's president, Isabel Díaz Ayuso.

The decision came after days of back and forth within the local government. While Ayuso initially hinted at her preference to stay in Phase 0, the vice president of the Community, Ignacio Aguado, was in favour of moving on to the next phase of de-escalation. In the end, the official request by the Community of Madrid went in Aguado's direction.

Amid the quarrels, the general director of Public Health of the Community of Madrid, Yolanda Fuentes, resigned on May 7. In a letter, Fuentes said that health criteria was not the priority in the petition to bring Madrid to Phase 1, though in the end it is just that which has won out in the final decision.