‘We Are in a Cage:’ Spanish Town Lives Under a Lockdown Within a Lockdown

LA POBLA DE CLARAMUNT, Spain — When María José Rodríguez heard on native tv that her city in northeastern Spain can be locked down inside hours, she knew she needed to depart or threat dropping her household’s enterprise.

She grabbed a bag of groceries, a recent change of garments and her automotive keys, mentioned goodbye to her husband and drove to her son’s condo in a close-by village, above the household bakery. For greater than two weeks, she has been locked out of the city, Igualada. Her husband has been locked in, they usually haven’t any approach of understanding how lengthy it’ll go on.

“Had I not moved out to maintain working the bakery, we’d have needed to shut it,” Ms. Rodríguez, 63, mentioned at her store within the village of La Pobla de Claramunt. “However we’ll be nice, and I name my husband 50 occasions a day. On the very least.”

Many European nations have imposed numerous types of lockdowns to include the epidemic, however Igualada, an industrial city 30 miles northwest of Barcelona, stands out. Whilst Spain has imposed a nationwide lockdown, it has minimize Igualada off from the remainder of the nation — a lockdown inside a lockdown.

After its hospital was recognized as a hub of a regional outbreak that has reached almost 20,000 coronavirus infections and greater than 2,500 deaths, officers sealed off Igualada and three smaller neighboring cities, at midnight on March 12, stranding about 65,000 folks.

Police forces guard each entry level, permitting solely important staff to enter and depart. The limitations have divided households like Ms. Rodríguez’s, put folks out of labor and thrown households into uncertainty for weeks, if no more.

“We’re in a cage, and we’re studying learn how to cease attempting to manage the whole lot,” mentioned Gemma Sabaté, a 48-year-old bodily therapist stranded there.

Over eight,100 folks have died from the brand new coronavirus in Spain, the second-highest toll on this planet after Italy. Almost 95,000 folks have examined optimistic, amongst them thousands of health workers.

In Igualada, as docs and nurses battle the virus within the hospital, residents have shared a way of obligation, self-sacrifice and resilience.

A lot of the restrictions within the city are just like these all through the nation: persons are allowed to depart their houses solely to purchase meals, stroll their canine and have a tendency to emergencies. However the guidelines are extra strictly enforced in Igualada, the visitors extra tightly managed.

When Marc Castells, the mayor of Igualada, goes dwelling at night time, he says he feels just like the final character standing in a film, “besides it’s not a film.”

These inside and people exterior the cordon can meet at checkpoints, however solely to change important items below the eyes of cops. On a latest morning, Toni Navarro delivered air-conditioners for the hospital to his colleague Jordi Morente, who lives in Igualada. They each wore masks and gloves.

“If you happen to want something, name me, I’ll drive anytime, even at night time,” Mr. Navarro mentioned as they exchanged an elbow bump.

Alba Vergés, Catalonia’s regional well being minister, lives in Igualada however she has been compelled to remain away, leaving her household stranded inside.

“I by no means thought we must prohibit folks’s freedom of motion,” she mentioned. “However 10,000 folks get out of Igualada day by day, principally to Barcelona. We needed to cease the virus from getting out.”

With the realm’s isolation prolonged from 15 days to 30, Igualada’s streets have remained principally abandoned and eerily silent, residents say, aside from the nightly applause for well being staff. In town plaza, whose terraces are often full of life, there’s solely the sound of a small fountain.

After all, there have been some cracks within the confinement. Igualada’s streets have grown busier within the mornings because the lockdown has dragged on, and a few younger folks have mingled exterior when the town is asleep. Others have used an underground car parking zone to train, or taken their canine for prolonged walks alongside the close by river.

However many residents mentioned they needed to steer by instance, as a result of they had been among the many first within the nation to face the epidemic.

“There’s some accountability, there’s a concern of being contaminated,” mentioned Josep Maria Solé, a 54-year-old public worker. “After which, there’s the proximity with the hospital.”

The calm exterior contrasts with what nurses and docs describe as a chaotic struggle throughout the hospital. Of almost 600 folks contaminated within the space, over 150 have been well being staff. A 3rd of the workers has been despatched dwelling.

“The hospital is collapsing,” mentioned Raquel Jaume, a 61-year-old nurse who has needed to self-isolate.

One other nurse, who requested to stay nameless as a result of she nonetheless works on the hospital, mentioned the toughest occasions have been the 5-minute farewell calls that critically ailing sufferers have with their households. “They’re alone, and they’re dying alone,” she mentioned.

All nonemergency operations have moved to different hospitals, to make room for Covid-19 sufferers. With extra anticipated, a sports activities facility has been transformed right into a area hospital. Dozens of well being staff from different services have tried to fill within the decimated ranks.

However the lack of personnel, a hospital official has mentioned, “is destroying us.”

Officers say that a dinner on Feb. 28 for greater than 80 folks, together with dozens of well being staff, could have fueled the outbreak. The hospital recorded its first case on March eight.

“We didn’t take this severely sufficient,” Marc Arnaiz, a health care provider within the inner drugs unit who has been contaminated, mentioned of the early levels of the epidemic.

Regional authorities have in latest days reported almost 200 new instances and a dozen new deaths, among the many greatest will increase because the lockdown started. “Everybody is aware of somebody who has been contaminated or died in Igualada,” mentioned Clara Lopez, a 28-year-old mom of two. “If not but, it’s a matter of days.”

Almost 70 folks have died from the coronavirus on the hospital as of Tuesday, based on official tallies, however the authorities have conceded that the numbers could possibly be a lot increased as solely those that had been examined have been counted.

In video calls with kin, “we inform one another that the whole lot goes effectively,” Ms. Lopez mentioned. “However deep inside, we’re undoubtedly not doing so effectively.”

Many concern that the lockdown will devastate the native economic system. Igualada is known for its textile makers and leather-based workshops that offer luxurious manufacturers all through the world. However the trade, which Mr. Castells mentioned employs 1,000 folks, has come to a standstill.

“After the sanitary tsunami will come the financial tsunami,” Mr. Castells mentioned.

Regardless of the confinement, the virus has unfold out of Igualada. Dozens of instances have appeared in close by villages, and over 20 residents in two native nursing houses have died.

Many locals dwelling exterior Igualada, like Sonia Quiñoa, have blamed the authorities for not conducting sufficient testing. Her father was hospitalized for pneumonia however was not examined till after his dying, one of many first from coronavirus at Igualada’s hospital.

His household frolicked with him in his final days, and Ms. Quiñoa her husband, Juan Antonio Mudarra, and their two kids, quickly developed signs. They mentioned they urged the well being authorities to examine them, however weren’t examined for greater than 10 days; each Ms. Quiñoa and Mr. Mudarra examined optimistic.

“We’ve been accountable sufficient to self isolate,” Mr. Mudarra mentioned final month on the doorstep of the household home in La Pobla de Claramunt. However he mentioned he wasn’t shocked that the virus had unfold so extensively and rapidly.

“Well being staff in Igualada are overwhelmed,” he mentioned. “Residents inside are apprehensive. And, we, exterior, have been deserted.”

Samuel Aranda contributed reporting.