Spain has logged a slight fall in the number of people dying from the coronavirus after days of record death tolls.
According to the latest figures, released just now by the ministry of health, 812 people died from the virus between Sunday and Monday.
The virus has so far claimed 7,340 lives in Spain, and the country has now confirmed a total of 85,195 cases, up from 78,797 yesterday.
Spanish authorities said on 838 people died from Covid-19 between Saturday and Sunday, and 832 between Friday and Saturday.
A handout photo made available by Spanish Government shows tv frame of Emergency and Alert Center Coordination chairman Fernando Simon during the press conference about coronavirus crisis after the Extraordinary Cabinet Meeting held at Moncloa Palace in Madrid, Spain. EPA-EFE/Spanish Government HANDOUT
Meanwhile, Fernando Simón, the head of Spain’s centre for health emergencies – and the public face of the government’s response thanks to his daily briefings – is awaiting confirmation that he has tested positive for the virus.
The virus was apparently detected last night, according to the government.
At an extraordinary meeting on Sunday, the Spanish Cabinet agreed to implement the stricter lockdown measures that were announced the night before by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, in yet another bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus and thus ease the congestion in Spanish intensive care units (ICUs).
The agreed measures will see all non-essential workers also confined to their homes, from March 30 to April 9 inclusive. The move comes in addition to the confinement of most residents in Spain that was put into action two weeks ago under the state of alarm declared by the Cabinet on March 14. Citizens are permitted to leave their homes to purchase food or medication, and under other specific circumstances such as walking their dogs.
