Spain’s Room Mate Group to shut half its Madrid hotels for 15 days to contain COVID-19

Spain’s Room Mate Group has announced that it will shut the doors of half of its six hotels in Madrid for 15 days, from tomorrow (11^th March) in a bid to contain the fast spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Those with reservations at the closed hotels will be accommodated at the hotels that will remain open (Room Mate Alba, Room Mate Oscar y Room Mate Alicia), reported the Group.

So far, it’s the first hotel group to announce closures in the capital. According to the Group, the move is a ‘responsible, act of solidarity’, in line with the Government’s ‘extraordinary’ measures, announced yesterday to help contain the virus. These included the closure of all schools and universities from tomorrow.

The Government also advised businesses to allow staff to work from home, where possible to help families cope with the measures. Other emergency measures for the city include postponing non-urgency medical procedures and tests, and making provision for extra hospital beds to ensure adequate emergency treatment. However, less serious cases of COVID-19 will primarily be treated at home, according to the Ministry of Health.

The Government has advised elderly people and those will chronic health conditions to avoid leaving their home/residency. Last Friday, Madrid closed all day centres for the elderly and shut the doors to visitors at care and residential homes.

The Spanish Government has also cautioned Madrid’s population against any travel, unless absolutely necessary. In addition, it has ordered for all public transport across the capital – trains and buses – to be disinfected daily to stop the spread of the virus.

These measures follow a huge hike in people infected with Coronavirus across the capital, as well as the rising death toll (as reported). Today, the death toll from COVID-19 in Madrid alone has risen to 21, from 16 yesterday, with more than 782 people now infected.