29th March 2024
Pedro Sánchez during his visit to the Hersill factory on 3 April 2020 (Pool Moncloa / Borja Puig de la Bellacasa)
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Coronavirus in Spain full update (4 April)

Report updated in Spain at 15.50h on Saturday 4 April.

Official figures released by the Spanish Health Ministry at 11.45am on Saturday 4 April confirm 124,736 known cases of Coronavirus (Covid-19) in Spain, 7,026 more than yesterday.

Friday had seen an increase of 7,472 confirmed cases over Thursday – a rise of 6.7%, which had continued the downward trend of increased infections seen in the past few days in Spain. This downward trend of infections seems to be continuing with the figures announced on Saturday morning.

11,744 people have now died from the pandemic (up by 809 from yesterday – an increase of 7.3%, but the lowest figure of the past week). Yesterday’s figure was an increase of 932 – and the day before 950. It is the eighth day in a row, however, that the increase in the number of Coronavirus deaths for a 24-hour period in Spain has been above 800. 

There are 57,612 people who have required hospital treatment in Spain for Coronavirus, of which 6,532 are currently in intensive care. 34,219 people have now made a full recovery, which is 3,706 more than yesterday. Friday’s figure for recoveries had been an increase of 3,770 over Thursday.

Of the official figures announced, 36,249 confirmed cases are known to be in the Madrid region, and where 4,723 have died (from the total 11,744 across the country).

There are now 24,734 cases in Catalonia (2,508 deaths), 8,187 in the Basque Country (477 deaths), 7,869 in Andalusia (426), 9,324 in Castilla La Mancha (989) and 6,901 in Valencia (571).

Figures for those infected with Coronavirus in other regions are as follows: Aragón 3,078 (251 deaths), Asturias 1,522 (76 deaths), Balearic Islands 1,271 (71), Canary Islands 1,564 (78), Cantabria 1,384 (68), Castilla y León 8,332 (786), Ceuta 73 (1), Extremadura 1,979 (208), Galicia 5,625 (159), Melilla 79 (2), Murcia 1,188 (51), Navarra 2,972 (171) and La Rioja 2,405 (128).

ALSO READ: Lockdown in Spain set to be extended until 26 April

The current lockdown in Spain looks certain to be extended – most likely until 26 April.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who visited a company producing respirators on Friday [see further details below] is making contact during Saturday with the leaders of Spain’s main opposition parties to seek support for an extension to the current ‘state of alarm’ lockdown. On Sunday, he will also make contact with Spain’s regional leaders, to also seek their support.

To further extend the lockdown, Sánchez – who is leading a coalition government between his PSOE socialist party and the left-wing Podemos group – will again need the approval of parliament, the Spanish Congress.

The Spanish government will hold a special cabinet meeting on Tuesday to determine the precise details of the lockdown extension, with the vote in the Spanish Congress expected next Thursday 9 April.

Pablo Casado, leader of Spain’s right-wing People’s Party (PP) has tweeted on Saturday that Sánchez has already called him ‘to inform me that he will request Congress to extend the State of Alarm’. He added, ‘I have once again transmitted the support of the PP for the containment measures against Coronavirus.’

Pedro Sánchez during his visit to the Hersill factory on 3 April 2020 (Pool Moncloa / Borja Puig de la Bellacasa)
Pedro Sánchez during his visit to the Hersill factory on 3 April 2020 (Pool Moncloa / Borja Puig de la Bellacasa)

The Spanish government initially declared a lockdown for two weeks commencing on 14 March, with measures that confined everyone to their homes apart from leaving to purchase food or medication, or to go to their place of work only if they could not perform their duties from home.

After the first week was completed, the measures were extended by the Spanish Congress until 12 April.

From Monday 30 March, further new measures ordered all non-essential workers in Spain to also remain at home until Thursday 9 April inclusive, thereby only returning to work after the Easter weekend (Friday 10 and Monday 13 April are holidays in most regions of Spain).

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain full update (3 April)

Spain’s Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska has said that any further extension decision would be made on the advice of medical experts and ‘on a scientific basis’.

Pablo Casado had recently accused the PSOE leader of ‘improvising’ and that his handling of the Coronavirus crisis was an ‘explosive cocktail of arrogance, incompetence and lies’.

Santiago Abascal, leader of Spain’s far-right Vox party, has been repeatedly calling for Sánchez to resign, as well as his second deputy prime minister, Pablo Iglesias, the leader of the coalition’s left-wing Podemos party.

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain: unemployment figures worst on record

GLOBAL OVERVIEW

China mourned thousands of ‘martyrs’ who have died in the Coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak on Saturday, flying the national flag at half-mast throughout the country and suspending all entertainment. It coincides with the start of the country’s annual Qingming tomb-sweeping festival, when Chinese families traditionally pay their respects to their ancestors. More than 3,300 people in mainland China are officially known to have died in the pandemic, which first appeared in the central province of Hubei in December 2019.

In the USA, known infections of Coronavirus are now approaching 275,000 – equivalent to around 25% of over 1 million cases reported worldwide. New York alone accounts for more than a quarter of the country’s 7,077 deaths according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University on Friday.

The USA’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended that all Americans wear some sort of mask when outdoors – from cloth or items of clothing. President Donald Trump explained that doing so is ‘voluntary’, and said, ‘I’m choosing not to do it.’

In France, hospitals registered their highest death toll in 24 hours with 588 new fatalities from Coronavirus on Friday, as the total toll has now risen to more than 6,500. French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe has said that the country’s nationwide lockdown ‘would probably be extended’ beyond the current deadline of 15 April.

In the UK, the new temporary 4,000-bed Nightingale Hospital at the Excel conference centre in London was opened ‘virtually’ by Prince Charles on Friday, the first of several field hospitals being built. Temporary hospitals are also being built at exhibition centres in Birmingham and Manchester, with a total capacity of up to 3,000 beds. A third is under construction in Glasgow and there are also plans to build two more in Bristol and Harrogate, providing a further total of 1,500 beds.

Buckingham Palace has also announced that The Queen will make an address to the nation on Sunday about the Coronavirus outbreak that has now claimed more than 3,600 lives the UK.

ALSO READ: FC Barcelona players agree to 70% pay cut, and will ensure staff receive 100%

Pedro Sánchez during his visit to the Hersill factory on 3 April 2020 (Pool Moncloa / Borja Puig de la Bellacasa)
Pedro Sánchez during his visit to the Hersill factory on 3 April 2020 (Pool Moncloa / Borja Puig de la Bellacasa)

CORONAVIRUS in SPAIN

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, together with his health minister Salvador Illa, visited the Hersill company in Móstoles (in the Madrid region) on Friday. The company is starting to produce respirators on an industrial level – up to a total of 5,000 units over the coming weeks, according to comments made by Illa at a press conference on Thursday.

The temporary hospital set up at Madrid’s IFEMA exhibition centre officially opened on 21 March and is currently housing just over 1,000 patients. A total of 2,000 patients have been treated at the facility since it opened. 900 were discharged after they were cured. Eight patients have died. The Madrid authorities originally planned to set up 5,500 beds at IFEMA, but the installation has been tenmporarily halted with capacity for 1,500 beds.

During the press conference following the release of the Spanish Health Ministry’s figures on Friday, María José Sierra, the new spokesperson from the Coordination Center for Health Alerts, said that ‘hospitalizations had increased 10%, when during the last few weeks it was at 30%.’

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.

Numbers to call
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:

ALSO READ: Lockdown in Spain set to be extended until 26 April

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain full update (3 April)

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain: unemployment figures worst on record

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain full update (2 April)

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain full update (1 April)

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain full update (31 March)

ALSO READ: FC Barcelona players agree to 70% pay cut, and will ensure staff receive 100%

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain full update (30 March)

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain full update (29 March)

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain full update (28 March)

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain full update (27 March)

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain full update (26 March)

ALSO READ: Animal rights NGO starts petition against possible state aid for cancelled bullfights

ALSO READ: Spain publishes list of hotels that will remain open

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain full update (25 March)

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain full update (24 March)

ALSO READ: Video of boy training as goalkeeper in isolation goes viral

ALSO READ: The new restrictions at Spain’s airports, ports and land borders

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain full update (23 March)

ALSO READ: Madrid starts receiving patients at IFEMA exhibition centre ‘hospital’

ALSO READ: Confirmed: lockdown extended until at least 11 April

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain full update (22 March)

ALSO READ: Walking a goat or a Vietnamese pig is not allowed

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain – full advice for British travellers seeking to return to the UK

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain full update (21 March)

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain full update (20 March)

ALSO READ: ‘This virus we will stop together’ – video 

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain full update (19 March)

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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