THE coronavirus death toll in Spain has shot up by more than 700, surpassing China and making the country second only to Italy as the pandemic spread rapidly in Europe.
Spain recorded a record daily increase of 738 deaths, pushing it to 3,434 overall and past China’s 3,285, the Ministry of Health said.
The country’s infections rose by 20% to 47,610, and more than 5,000 have recovered.
Spain’s health system is overwhelmed, with hotels being converted into hospitals and a Madrid ice rink being used as a temporary morgue.
Legislators are set to extend the country’s lockdown for two more weeks, to April 12.
Fernando Simon, head of Spain’s health emergency co-ordination centre, said he hoped the numbers would peak soon.
“If we are not already at the peak, we are very close,” he said. “I cannot say that we have reached it.”
Even once the numbers crest, it would be “counterproductive” to think about relaxing restrictions soon, he added.
Spain’s nursing home system has been hit particularly hard. Prosecutors are investigating several homes after troops disinfecting them discovered elderly people living among suspected coronavirus victims who had died.
Media reported that 23 residents of a Madrid retirement home had died from Covid-19 or symptoms related to the new virus, news reports said. The residence released a statement saying it had been pleading for more staff and supplies, including virus tests, after 55 of its workers had been forced to take medical leave.
National police also arrested two people in southern Spain for throwing stones and other debris at a convoy of ambulances and police vehicles as 28 elderly people were being transferred from a nursing home with a high number of infections to another facility in their town.
Italy has been the hardest-hit nation in Europe with more than 69,000 infections and 6,800 deaths.
Germany’s parliament is set to approve a series of measures that will allow the government to offer aid totalling more than a trillion euros (£900 billion) for the country of 83 million people.
More than 428,000 people worldwide have been infected by the virus and more than 19,000 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University. Overall, more than 109,000 have recovered.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here