On Saturday, the Madrid region, the epicenter of Spain’s coronavirus crisis, accounting for more than half of the reported cases, was already feeling the effects of restricted movement.

Madrid is normally one of Europe’s most bustling cities, with people filling its public parks and squares, or meeting for drinks and tapas in its thousands of bars and cafes.

Yet on Saturday, Madrid resembled a ghost city, as its 3.5 million residents, who normally spend much of their social life on the streets, started to follow the advice of the authorities to stay at home.

The train stations and main avenues were almost deserted, while some police cars patrolled the city center. Only stores providing basic services — such as supermarkets and gas stations — were allowed to stay open. People who ventured outside often headed to supermarkets to buy essential supplies.

Museums and other public venues closed earlier this week. The gates of Madrid’s central park, the Retiro, were shut by the police on Saturday afternoon.

On the arcaded Plaza Mayor, one of the main public spaces in the heart of the city, some tourists took a last walk as they hoped to catch a flight later in the day.

“Life here is slowing down by the hour,” said Stéphanie David, a visitor from Belgium.

The Spanish government has only once before declared a state of emergency, in 2010, when the military was ordered to break up a wildcat strike by air traffic controllers that had paralyzed the country’s airports.