Coronavirus outbreak discovered near Cristiano Ronaldo’s house as town of 18,000 is cordoned off

A CORONAVIRUS outbreak has been discovered just 20 kilometers away from where Cristiano Ronaldo is self-isolating with his family.

The local government in Madeira have set-up a cordon around Camera do Lobos after at least 12 Covid-19 infections were confirmed.

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A coronavirus outbreak has begun in a town just 20km from where Cristiano Ronaldo is self-isolating with his family in MadeiraCredit: georginagio/Instagram

The 35-year-old has come under flak after flouting government guidelines during lockdownCredit: Instagram

The town is just west of the capital Funchal, where the Juventus superstar is with his family after the football season was suspended.

Now over 18,000 inhabitants are now waiting to find out the extent of the infection – with the bug having killed over 150,000 worldwide – and contain the spread.

The area has been marked as a red zone, and it is only around 12 miles from the villa where Ronaldo has been staying.

However, there are no suggestions the 35-year-old Portuguese striker is currently in any danger.

The ex-Manchester United and Real Madrid man reunited this week with the rest of his family in the middle of Portugal’s coronavirus lockdown to celebrate his niece’s birthday.

He left the villa he has been renting in another part of Madeira and joined in a party for Alicia Aveiro held on Friday at Ronaldo’s ocean-view apartment block where a room has been turned into a CR7 shrine.

Ronaldo’s brother Hugo, Alicia’s dad, could be seen using a microwave in the background as a pretend bongo to bang out a rhythm with his hands.

Their 65-year-old mum Dolores Aveiro, who was hospitalised last month with a stroke, was also pictured sat on a chair in a corner at the birthday party.

Dolores said in a heartfelt message she posted on her Instagram alongside a photo of Alicia: “Congratulations on your 21st birthday.

“I hope this day is repeated for many more years and that you have a lot of good luck and health throughout your life.”

The birthday girl, thought to still live at home with her parents on a lower floor of the seven-storey apartment block Ronaldo owns and stayed at when he first flew back to Madeira last month, later posed for a picture on her balcony.

She was carrying a bunch of flowers gifted to her for the selfie, posted alongside a message which said: “#Stayhomestaysafe.”

The forward’s attendance at the family do is bound to lead to fresh speculation about his actions during Portugal’s coronavirus lockdown rules.

Regional government officials in Madeira faced questions earlier this month after the star was pictured training at a football stadium on the island.

They were quick to point out Ronaldo had broken no rules as he was a professional athlete exercising for work reasons and had observed social distancing.

The law that establishes Portugal’s state of emergency until May 2 says: “The government understands that contact between people, who constitute a strong source of contagion and spread of the virus, as well as their travelling around, should be kept to the minimum level indispensable.”

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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk