Madrid (AFP) - With coronavirus cases spreading like wildfire, the entire city of Madrid is to be put under partial lockdown, Spain's government said Wednesday as it stepped up measures to fight the epidemic.

Madrid is tackling its first day under a partial lockdown, with police controlling travel in and out of the Spanish capital that has become Europe’s biggest hot spot for the second wave of coronavirus.

Madrid is set to go into partial lockdown after an order from the Spanish government, but is determined to fight it in the courts.

Madrid, where a second coronavirus wave is expanding by far the fastest in all of Europe, is edging closer to stricter curbs on movement and social gatherings

Madrid will become the first European capital to go back into lockdown in coming days after the region's leader reluctantly agreed on Thursday to obey a central government order to ban non-essential travel to and from the Spanish capital.

Madrid (AFP) - "Nothing has changed, it's just like any other day in the neighbourhood," shrugged Martinio Sanchez on a busy street in Madrid, a city in partial lockdown to slow the spread of the virus.