Over 4,000 Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients Discharged From Hospitals in Spain

Health workers wait at the external screening area of the Burgos Hospital set up in order to separate patients with suspected CCP virus symptoms from the rest of the patients ahead of their admission in Burgos in northern Spain on April 2, 2020. Cesar Manso/AFP via Getty Images

More than 4,000 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals over the previous 24 hours, Spanish authorities said on Thursday.

Described as “cured” by officials, the number of those discharged reached 26,743.

COVID-19 is the new disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, which emerged in China last year.

Spain, one of the hardest-hit countries in the world, also recorded nearly 1,000 deaths overnight, taking the country’s death toll to 10,003.

Spain’s mortality rate from the CCP virus rose to 9 percent. Most countries have seen rates of 3 percent or lower.

Official mortality rates don’t count a number of patients who show no symptoms or mild symptoms, according to health experts.

The number of confirmed infections rose by over 8,000 to 110,238 while the number of those in intensive care units increased slightly to 6,092.

A cleaner wearing protective gear disinfects public areas in the village of Bueu, northwestern Spain, on April 2, 2020. Miguel Riopa/AFP via Getty Images

The daily increase in infections in percentage terms has been slowing gradually since March 25, when reported cases rose by just over 20 percent. The increase on Thursday was 8 percent.

Spanish officials said Wednesday that the peak of the virus had arrived.

“The central issue is no longer whether we’ve reached the peak or not, it seems like we are there,” health emergency chief Fernando Simon, who was himself diagnosed with the virus this week, told a briefing.

“The key issue is to make sure that the national health system is capable of guaranteeing adequate coverage of all our patients and treatment,” he said.

Health Minister Salvador Illa sounded a similar theme while speaking to parliament on Thursday.

“There’s light at the end of the tunnel,” he said. “A glimpse of hope: the curve has stabilized. We have reached ... the peak of the curve and we have started the slowdown phase.”

Spain announced a lockdown on March 14 and tightened the measures last week, forbidding employees deemed nonessential from working.

Reuters contributed to this report.