MADRID: At least 440 people have died in the past 24 hours from the new coronavirus, bringing the overall death toll to 22,157.
Spain has suffered the third-highest number of deaths in the world from the pandemic after the United States and Italy, with infections now more than 213,000 cases, health ministry figures showed.
Spanish health officials revealed that the epidemic peaked on 2nd April when 950 people died over 24 hours, nearly three weeks after the government imposed a strict lockdown, effectively confining almost 47 million citizens to home to slow the spread of the virus.
The lockdown first imposed in March has been twice extended and another fresh extension was approved this week until 9th May. Although conditions are to be slightly eased from 26th April to allow children to spend some time outside.
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez earlier on Wednesday said that he hoped that the country could begin to ease its restrictions. Slowing infection rates in a number of European countries are raising hope that strict social distancing measures are curbing the spread of COVID-19 – the disease caused by the coronavirus.
Meanwhile, the French finance minister warned that the economic contraction this year would most likely be the worst for the country. France reported 833 new deaths in hospitals and nursing homes, bringing the total to 8,911 since 1st March. The daily toll was 315 higher than the previous 24 hours.
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