Spanish police use drones to fly through neighborhoods encouraging people to stay indoors

Police in Spain have turned to drones to encourage people to stay indoors and practice social distancing during the country's now surging COVID-19 outbreak. The drones have been equipped with speakers that officers can use to broadcast live messages from their squad cars. The drones are part of neighborhood sweeps police have been implementing to enforce a country-wide lockdown that began on Saturday. The drones have been used in Madrid to help clear parks and other public spaces where many in the country had continued to gather in spite of growing health concerns, according to a report in Popular Mechanics. Under the country's lockdown, which was implemented the same day Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's wife Begoña Gómez tested positive for COVID-19, people are banned from leaving home for any reason other than to buy essential supplies and medicine or to go to work. As with many other countries around the world, Spain has required schools and all non-essential businesses to close, including museums, sporting events, and restaurants, which are restricted to delivery and takeout orders.