Spain’s health minister has reiterated his plea for Madrid’s regional authorities to apply more stringent restrictions on mobility in Europe’s worst coronavirus hotspot. Minister Salvador Illa said Saturday that “the situation in Madrid is complicated, serious. Tough weeks are on their way.” For the second time in as many days, Illa urged Madrid’s health authorities in charge of the capital’s health crisis to “revise their decisions” and “put in the limits on movement on the whole of the city of Madrid.” On Friday, Madrid increased the number of neighbourhoods under restrictions that prohibit unnecessary movement outside the area, reduce occupancy in shops and restaurants and close parks.

Those measures apply to around 1 million people of the 3.3 million who live in the capital. Spain has been able to stop a second wave of the virus that has claimed over 31,000 lives in the country.