CORDOBA, SPAIN (VINnews) — On a hilltop in Southern Spain overlooking a pretty lake lies the ancient fortress town of Zahara de la Sierra. The Moors and Christians fought over it in medieval times, and it was sacked by the French in 1812. Now its formidable position high above the Andalusian countryside has suddenly become an invaluable asset once more, according to a report by CNN, which was given virtual access to the town.
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On March 14, as soon as the Spanish government declared a “state of alarm” due to the spread of the deadly coronavirus, the mayor of the picturesque town, 40-year-old Santiago Galván, acted swiftly and decided to block all but one of the town’s five entrances to outside visitors, effectively sealing the town off from the outside world. Now, a little over two weeks later, with Spain reeling from over 100,000 cases of COVID-19 and over 10,000 deaths, Galván’s decision could have proved an absolute lifesaver for the town’s 1400 inhabitants. Not a single case of the virus has been recorded among the population.
The mayor’s drastic steps have the full support of the townspeople, and especially the elderly. Nearly a quarter of Zahara’s inhabitants are older than 65; there are more than 30 residents in an old people’s home. Towns and villages nearby have seen infections and several coronavirus fatalities.
The checkpoint on the one access road is run by a single police officer. Two men dressed in the protective clothing normally used for spraying the olive groves nearby wash vehicles that come through with a mix of bleach and water. The vehicles even have to pass through a sort of sheep-dip to ensure their tires are disinfected.