We are at the point of collapse’: coronavirus pushes Spain’s hospitals and businesses to the brink – The National

  • Date: 29-Mar-2020
  • Source: The National
  • Sector:Economy
  • Country:Middle East
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We are at the point of collapse’: coronavirus pushes Spain’s hospitals and businesses to the brink – The National

'We are at the point of collapse': coronavirus pushes Spain's hospitals and businesses to the brink. A sudden, unusual chill descended on Madrid this weekend.. But ever since the state of emergency was announced on 14 March, an empty silence has engulfed the Spanish capital - and its 6.5 million inhabitants are hardly anywhere to be seen.. A 10 minute walk away, the four-star Ayre Gran Hotel Colon has been turned into a makeshift hospital to accommodate the sick - as have numerous other hotels in Spain.. Madrid's conference centre IFEMA, which hosts the likes of Madrid Fashion Week, ARCO contemporary art fair and numerous trade conventions, now houses 5,500 beds for coronavirus patients, making it Spain's largest hospital.. It is a shift beyond recognition - the world's second most popular holiday destination, now the crumbling epicentre of a global health emergency.. The hashtag #QuedateEnCasa ('stay at home') is plastered across social media, TV and advertising.. Newsstands like Leonor's, for example, are considered primary services and continue operations during the state of emergency.. Our sales have dropped because people aren't going out, they're at home worried.". Like many in Spain, Andrea is wondering about life after lockdown; over the two