Madrid to enforce regional lockdown from 10 p.m. local time

Madrid and nine nearby towns will enter a partial lockdown at 10 p.m. local time (8 pm GMT), regional health chief Enrique Ruiz Escudero told a news conference on Friday as it fights to rein in a steep surge in COVID-19 cases.

Under the new measures, borders will be closed to outsiders for non-essential visits, with only travel for work, school, doctors' visits or shopping allowed. A curfew for bars and restaurants will be moved to 11 p.m. from 1 a.m.

Some regional officials from the Madrid region have previously voiced strong rejections and anger over the Spanish government proposal to reintroduce the lockdown measures.

(With input from Reuters)