Spain in English

Coronavirus in Spain full update (1 April)

Report updated in Spain at 17.55h on 1 April.

Official figures released by the Spanish Health Ministry at 11.45am on Wednesday 1 April confirm 102,136 known cases of Coronavirus (Covid-19) in Spain, 7,719 more than yesterday.

9,053 people have died from the pandemic (up by 864 from yesterday – a new worst figure for a 24 hour period in Spain).

Yesterday’s figure (Tuesday) for the number of deaths from Coronavirus had been a rise of 849 compared to Monday. It had been partly explained by the Health Ministry’s Coordination Center for Health Alerts as being after a weekend ‘that can cause delays in the notification of cases’. On Monday there had been a rise of 812 deaths compared to Sunday, and Sunday’s figure was a rise of 838 deaths compared to Saturday. Monday had also seen fewer people testing positive for Coronavirus – 6,398 new cases on Monday compared to 6,549 on Sunday. Today’s figure (Wednesday) of 7,719 could be due to the increased tests now being carried out.

Official figures for 1 April.

On Wednesday there are now 5,872 people in intensive care (5,607 on Tuesday). 22,647 people have now made a full recovery, which is 3,388 more than yesterday.

Of the official figures announced, 29,840 confirmed cases are known to be in the Madrid region, and where 3,865 have died (from the total 9,053 across the country).

There are now 19,991 cases in Catalonia (1,849 deaths), 6,838 in the Basque Country (369 deaths), 6,392 in Andalusia (308), 7,047 in Castilla La Mancha (774) and 5,922 in Valencia (395).

Figures for those infected with Coronavirus in other regions are as follows: Aragón 2,491 (169 deaths), Asturias 1,322 (63 deaths), Balearic Islands 1,131 (46), Canary Islands 1,380 (62), Cantabria 1,213 (54), Castilla y León 6,847 (585), Ceuta 51 (1), Extremadura 1,679 (152), Galicia 4,432 (103), Melilla 62 (1), Murcia 1,041 (37), Navarra 2,497 (130) and La Rioja 1,960 (90).

Healthcare workers from Madrid’s IFEMA hospital joining in the applause that takes place every evening across Spain to thank those helping to combat the Coronavirus pandemic. (Photo Comunidad de Madrid / comunidad.madrid)

GLOBAL OVERVIEW

Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General, said on Tuesday that the Coronavirus pandemic is now the worst global crisis since World War II, and that it could also spark conflicts around the world.

Over 40,000 people have now died as the Covid-19 disease continues to spread globally, also causing economic devastation.

In a statement, Guterres said, ‘We must see countries not only united to beat the virus, but also to tackle its profound consequences.’

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on 26 March 2020. (UN.org)

‘Otherwise we face the nightmare of the disease spreading like wildfire in the global South with millions of deaths and the prospect of the disease re-emerging where it was previously suppressed,’ he added.

In his message, Guterres stressed that ‘we must tackle the devastating social and economic dimensions of this crisis, with a focus on the most affected: women, older persons, youth, low-wage workers, small and medium enterprises, the informal sector and vulnerable groups, especially those in humanitarian and conflict settings.’

People living in Lagos in Nigeria, simulate sneezing into their elbows during a Coronavirus prevention campaign. (Photo courtesy of UN.org)

In the USA, president Donald Trump has warned of ‘a very, very painful two weeks’ to come for the whole country. Confirmed Coronavirus cases across the USA rose to 189,510 early on Wednesday, according to the Johns Hopkins University, with 4,076 deaths – more than the 3,310 deaths reported by China.

New York is currently the hardest-hit area for cases in the USA, where the pandemic has now killed more than 1,700. Emergency field hospitals have been set up in Manhattan’s Central Park and also at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, where the US Open tennis takes place every summer. A 350-bed hospital set up there will start to receive patients next week.

In Australia, around 60 regional newspapers owned by Rupert Murdoch’s media group News Corp have announced that they will stop printing, due to lack of advertising during the Coronavirus pandemic. News Corp has stated that the  newspapers in the states of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia would stop printing and move online.

The Spanish army helping to set up the hospital at Madrid’s IFEMA exhibition centre. (Photo Comunidad de Madrid / comunidad.madrid)

CORONAVIRUS in SPAIN

Army help install extra field hospitals

In addition to the hospital that has been set up at Madrid’s IFEMA exhibition centre, servicemen from the Spanish Army and specifically from the Military Emergencies Unit (UME) have now helped to install a total of 16 field hospitals across Spain, to help relieve the burden on the country’s health system during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Spain’s Minister for Defence Margarita Robles said on Monday that servicemen had helped with the assembly of a field hospital for 300 people adjoined to Pac Paulí Hospital in Sabadell (Catalonia) and also started the construction of another field hospital at the FIRA exhibition centre in Barcelona.

Servicemen based in Salamanca have completed an extension to Gregorio Marañón Hospital in Madrid and have also increased the healthcare capacity at Segovia General Hospital.

An image of Madrid’s IFEMA exhibition centre hospital now up and running. (Photo courtesy of Isabel Díaz Ayuso, president of the Comunidad de Madrid (@IdiazAyuso / Twitter)

The main contributions from the armed forces have been engineering advice to install the hospital centres and technical health advice on the distribution of functions and medical care. They have also provided transport support to deliver the beds and all the material needed.

Personnel specialised in electricity, plumbing, air conditioning systems, masonry and soldering have been working on maintenance tasks at the hospital complexes and in installing other provisional structures to extend the health measures during the crisis caused by Covid-19.

Assembling field tents and helping with the delivery of health materials and beds have taken place at the following hospitals in Madrid: La Paz, Doce de Octubre, Hospital Gómez Ulla, as well as field hospital at the Carlos Sastre Pavilion in Leganés and Getafe.

Other centres where the armed forces have intervened include the hospitals in Albacete, Tres Mares in Cantabria, the Red Cross Hospital in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Zaragoza Military Hospital, as well as in the installation of various triage zones for patients in Leon, at the HUCA in Oviedo and at La Palma General Hospital.

Below are the numbers to call for each region of Spain for information and assistance in the event of possible cases of Coronavirus – as issued by the Spanish health authorities.

The numbers to call for each region of Spain.

Click here for further information (in Spanish) regarding Coronavirus from the Spanish Health Ministry.

Up-to-date WHO advice and facts (in English) about the Coronavirus epidemic can be found here: www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/technical-guidance.

Our previous reports on Coronavirus in Spain:

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ALSO READ: Despite lockdown, Spaniards applaud health workers from balconies every evening

Editor’s note: 

At Spain in English we’re always keen to also publish positive stories and features about life in Spain – not just the current news. With all cultural and sporting events currently on hold, as well as travel and gastronomic excursions, we welcome on-going contributions from all of you who’d like to send us articles for publication. Although we are unable to currently pay for contributions, we will certainly credit you and share the articles across our social media network (if of interest) – and/or also link to your own blogs or other sites. We currently welcome upbeat, positive and fun articles – perhaps how you’re coping with the ‘lockdown’ in your own area of Spain – or how your community is responding, or recommendations of help to others. We have a dedicated ‘Opinion, Blogs & Spanish Experiences‘ section where your articles will appear. We will edit for clarity and length only – and we reserve the right to not publish. Articles should be sent via email to editorial@spainenglish.com (preferably with a photo and credit details), and should be around 500 words (800 to 1,000 max). We will try to respond to everyone, but please be patient with us. We’re a very small team but with big ambitions! Please stay safe. Thank you for reading and following us.

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