Spain recorded its single largest increase in deaths from the new CCP virus from China, but also said over 2,000 additional patients are fully recovered.
With 769 new deaths, Spain’s death toll reached 4,858, according to Spain’s Ministry of Health. Spain has one of the highest mortality rates in the world from the new illness—7.5 percent—and its death toll sits behind only Italy, though China’s is higher than officially reported.
The number of confirmed cases climbed above 64,000 and those in intensive care units increased nearly 500 to 4,165, the ministry said. Madrid hospitals are caring for some 1,200 in intensive care alone and some areas are facing a shortage of medical supplies.
But Spain also reported over 2,300 patients were cured over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of recovered to 9,357.
“Today we have more deaths than registered yesterday, but it is also true that in percentage terms, today’s increase is roughly equivalent to that of the past three days, in which we seem to see a clear stabilization,” health emergency chief Fernando Simon said at a press conference, Reuters reported.
He said that more than 9,400 health workers have tested positive for the virus, or about 15 percent of the infected in the country.
Simon urged people to take care of their personal hygiene and avoid contact with others to try to stem the spread of the new illness, in a video released by the ministry.
Spaniards are under lockdown, told to stay at home except for trips for necessary supplies and essential work. The lockdown was extended this week to April 12.
Even as it battles the virus inside the country, Spain has been working on repatriating nationals who are in other countries.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it flew 525 Spaniards who were in Ireland since the state of emergency was announced 12 days ago back to Spain, including a number of students.
Spain also repatriated nine children from Moscow, over 100 cruise ship passengers from Italy, and a number of tourists from Germany. Spaniards are still stuck in Indonesia, the Philippines, and India, among other nations.
Sánchez Makes Demand
President Pedro Sánchez “demanded” the European Union provide financing in the medium and long-term for the COVID-19 crisis during the virtual European Council meeting on Thursday, the Spanish government said. Italy backed the move.“If we don’t propose a unified response to resolve this economic crisis now that is powerful and effective, the impact will not only be greater, but its effects will last longer and we will be endangering the whole European project,” Sánchez said in a statement.
He urged the union to avoid mistakes that “sowed the seeds of disaffection and division in the European project and led to the rise of populism” during the financial crisis in 2008.
Sánchez and either other European leaders sent a letter to Charles Michel, the president of the council, earlier in the week urging an alignment of policies across Europe to combat the pandemic. Specific policies called for included a common debt instrument issued by a European institution and a focus on ensuring fully functioning essential supply chains.
