Spain's coronavirus death toll passes 8,000 after new one-day record

Tuesday saw a rise in the number of deaths recorded in the last 24 hours, after a slight decrease the day before raising hopes the epidemic could be reaching a peak in Spain.

It marked a new record in the highest number of daily deaths and also a grim milestone of over 8,000 deaths.

The overall number of hospitalizations (blue), admittance into ICU (yellow) deaths (red) and recoveries (green) are shown in the chart below, which reveals that the curve of the number of hospital admittances is becoming less steep:

The data revealed that 5,607 coronavirus patients were being treated in Intensive Care Units across Spain, with 376 more admitted on Monday. 

Hospitals in less affected areas will now be taking patients from those regions where ICU units are beyond full capacity. 

Overall the number of people being treated in hospital grew by 2,626 by Tuesday morning.  

The breakdown of the cases by region, including the number of hospitalised, dead and recovered was published on Tuesday morning:

 

READ ALSO: 

• MAP: Where in Spain are people dying in coronavirus crisis
• Coronavirus: Spain bans funeral ceremonies and limits burials to just three mourners
• Which jobs are considered essential under Spain's lockdown restrictions?

 

Over the same 24 hour period, the number of confirmed cases rose to 94,417 after another 9,222 people tested positive: a nearly 11-percent increase.   

That figure was seen as a setback after a week in which the rate had been steadily failing, with Monday's figures having shown a rise of just over 8.0 percent.

"It's true that today we have a slight increase in the number of cases," said Maria Jose Sierra, from the health ministry's emergencies coordination unit.

But the downward trend "is continuing", she added.    

This time last week, the rate of new infections stood at around 20 percent.    

Now on day 18 of an unprecedented four-week national lockdown to slow the spread of the virus, Spain has sought to dramatically ramp up testing. It is sourcing kits from around the world in order to test some 50,000 people per
day, up from the current 20,000.   

It has also ordered millions of euros worth of supplies to support its health care system, on the brink of collapse following the massive influx of seriously ill patients and a growing number of medical staff falling sick with
the virus.   

Madrid is the worst-hit area, counting 3,609 deaths and 27,509 infections.    

The regional authorities there are using a massive exhibition centre and a string of hotels to house the sick, and setting up two temporary morgues for the dead, one inside an Olympic-sized ice skating rink.