ENGLISH CORNER, CON LINDA JIMÉNEZ – This week’s trivia question:  What kinds of services is the Cuidados Madrid Centro help group offering?

Spain has an alarming amount of coronavirus cases, which have been amply covered by international news media. In fact, in Europe the extent of the illness here is second only to that of Italy.

On March 11 several regions in Spain, including Madrid, declared partial lockdowns, including the closing of all schools, from pre-school to universities.  This was followed on March 14 by the central government ordering a total lockdown in the whole country.  Originally for 15 days, on March 22 this was extended for another two weeks, until April 11.

As of March 24, there are nearly 40,000 cases of the illness in Spain, and about 2700 deaths, more than half of which are in Madrid.

The situation has given rise to outpourings of solidarity throughout Spain.  In this program, we are speaking with Sara Casado, who lives in the center of Madrid. After describing what life is like under the lockdown, she will tell us about one neighborhood initiative in her part of the city.

If you would like to see some of the spontaneous actions that people have taken to make the confinement easier, please click on the following  links (all have subtitles in English):

Blues singer seranades neighbors

Musicians in Catalonia play Ode to Joy

Neighbors “socialize” in imaginative ways

Police and hospital workers appreciate each other

STAY AT HOME.  STAY SAFE.