Deaths in Spain increases in the last 24 hours

Spain’s death toll in the last 24 hours from coronavirus was 585 on Friday, a rise from 551 the previous night but far off early April peaks as the country starts to loosen the terms of its lockdown.

More than 900 were registered overnight at the height of the outbreak in Spain, among countries worst-hit by the novel coronavirus which causes respiratory disease COVID-19.

Friday’s numbers do not include suspected deaths from the virus, which the Spanish government reiterated it is not counting as part of overall numbers, in line with many other countries.

Spanish health emergency chief Fernando Simon has said the country is following World Health Organization guidelines by just including people proven to have contracted the coronavirus in the nationwide death toll.

Spain has begun to ease a strict lockdown imposed on March 14, opening up some sectors of the economy, including manufacturing, this week.

Catalonia’s health department announced on Wednesday an additional 3,242 coronavirus deaths, nearly doubling its previous tally, as it included suspected and confirmed COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes and private homes for the first time.

These revised Catalan numbers have not been included in the official count.

(Source: Reuters)