Spain records 510 more coronavirus deaths within 24 hours, lowest in 19 days

Spain reported the lowest number of coronavirus related deaths for the third consecutive day on April 11. According to the country's health ministry, the European nation has reported a total of 510 fatalities in the past 24 hours which is the lowest in the past 19 days.COVID-19 has claimed the lives of 16, 353 people across Spain. This comes as Spain, which is the second worst-hit nation, saw a slowdown in a number of infected cases as it rose to 1,61,852 from 1,57,022 a day earlier.

'Gradual unwinding' 

This is encouraging for the country which had to set up temporary mortuaries in an ice rink and disused public buildings due to the rising death toll at the beginning of April. Meanwhile, the Spanish government has already begun to contemplate a gradual unwinding of lockdown measures, which have kept most people confined to their homes since mid-March, international media reported. The government has announced that starting from April 13, workers in the construction and manufacturing sectors would be allowed to return to work, however, movements across land borders have been restricted for the next two weeks. It was only on March 30 when Spain had toughened its nationwide lockdown, halting all non-essential activities until after Easter as it sought to further curb the spread of the virus.  

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The government also announced that it will distribute masks in metro or interurban train stations "where usage is recommended" and where work will resume after the Easter weekend "on Monday or Tuesday," Health Minister Salvador Illa said. But there would be no further easing of the drastic national lockdown, in place across the country since March 14, with Illa saying such measures would be enough to avoid "a resurgence of cases". 

Although health chiefs say the pandemic has peaked, they have urged the population to continue observing the ongoing lockdown restrictions which will remain in place until April 25 and likely be extended into May.

Read: Spain To Hand Out Masks At Metro Stations As People Return To Work

(Image credit: AP)

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