Report updated in Spain at 16.15h on Tuesday 7 April.
Official figures released by the Spanish Health Ministry at 11.30am on Tuesday 7 April confirm 140,510 known cases of Coronavirus (Covid-19) in Spain, 5,478 more than yesterday – a slight increase in the recent downward trend.
Monday had seen an increase of 4,273 confirmed cases over Sunday – and Sunday had seen an increase of 6,023 confirmed cases over Saturday.
13,798 people have now died from the pandemic in Spain (up by 743 from yesterday – also a slight increase against the recent downward trend). Monday had seen the lowest daily increase in deaths (637) since 24 March. The daily rate of increase in the figures had been on a downward trend since last Thursday.
A total of 63,093 people have required hospital treatment for Coronavirus in Spain to date, of which there are 7,069 people still in intensive care. 43,208 people have now made a full recovery, which is 2,771 more than yesterday.
Of the official figures announced, 40,469 confirmed cases are known to be in the Madrid region, and where 5,371 have died (from the total 13,798 across the country).
There are now 28,323 cases in Catalonia (2,908 deaths), 9,021 in the Basque Country (586 deaths), 8,767 in Andalusia (528), 11,077 in Castilla La Mancha (1,177) and 7,443 in Valencia (672).
Figures for those infected with Coronavirus in other regions are as follows: Aragón 3,449 (312 deaths), Asturias 1,679 (96 deaths), Balearic Islands 1,369 (84), Canary Islands 1,725 (89), Cantabria 1,501 (85), Castilla y León 9,581 (982), Ceuta 83 (4), Extremadura 2,116 (258), Galicia 6,331 (204), Melilla 92 (2), Murcia 1,283 (78), Navarra 3,355 (202) and La Rioja 2,846 (160).
ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain full update (6 April)
GLOBAL OVERVIEW
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, 55, was moved to an intensive care unit at St.Thomas’ Hospital in London on Monday evening, after his condition with Coronavirus had ‘worsened’. He currently remains in intensive care.
Johnson had been admitted to St.Thomas’ Hospital late on Sunday evening, 10 days after he had been diagnosed with Covid-19. In a short statement from Downing Street on Sunday, his admission to hospital was initially described as ‘a precautionary step, as the prime minister continues to have persistent symptoms of coronavirus 10 days after testing positive for the virus.’
After being moved to intensive care on Monday evening, Downing Street said: ‘Over the course of this afternoon, the condition of the Prime Minister has worsened and, on the advice of his medical team, he has been moved to the Intensive Care Unit at the hospital.’
Downing Street also said Johnson was conscious at the time of being moved to intensive care, and at the time did not require ventilation. The move to an intensive care unit was ‘in case he needed it later’.
Johnson has asked the UK’s Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to deputise for him during this period.
On Friday 3 April Johnson had posted a short video from Downing Street on Twitter, stating that he was still suffering symptoms and therefore still self-isolating, urging the British public to also stay at home during the weekend, despite the UK’s ‘fine weather’.
Another quick update from me on our campaign against #coronavirus.
You are saving lives by staying at home, so I urge you to stick with it this weekend, even if we do have some fine weather.#StayHomeSaveLives pic.twitter.com/4GHmJhxXQ0
— Boris Johnson #StayHomeSaveLives (@BorisJohnson) April 3, 2020
The USA recorded 1,150 deaths over 24 hours from Coronavirus on Monday, according to data from the Johns Hopkins University.
In China, where Coronavirus originated in December 2019, there were no new deaths reported for the first time on Monday. Amid fears of a second wave across Asia, however, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has also declared a state of emergency in Japan on Tuesday as cases spiked, especially in Tokyo. The measures will be in place until 6 May.
CORONAVIRUS in SPAIN
Current ‘state of alarm’ lockdown
Already in its fourth week of lockdown, the current ‘state of alarm’ in Spain is to be extended until 26 April, subject to an official vote in the Spanish Congress this Thursday 9 April, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has said.
Spain initially started its lockdown for two weeks from 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. The measures were then 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).
Yesterday, Spain’s Minister for Transport José Luis Ábalos stressed that the measures to limit mobility across Spain have contributed to containing Covid-19 and to protecting people at risk of infection.
At a press briefing at Moncloa, Ábalos said that ‘the very harsh lockdown measures and the drastic reduction in mobility are now reaping their rewards. Each day we are seeing how the curve of new infections is flattening’. Referring speficially to the reduction in train journeys across Spain, he said ‘the number of users has dropped by close to 95%, and we have met the target of converting weekdays into weekends in terms of volume of activity’.
Ábalos underlined that the new phase [of lockdown] in Spain ‘will require as much if not more discipline than the previous phase’, and added that ‘some sectors and activities may be reactivated, but that does not mean relaxing our attitude to combat the virus’. He also pointed out that ‘this will be done under public health and economic criteria, since we must prepare the country to return to activity under safe health conditions’.
Ábalos also thanked the main opposition parties in Spain ‘for announcing that they would responsibly support the extension to the state of emergency for a further 15 days’.
Pablo Casado, leader of Spain’s right-wing People’s Party (PP) tweeted on Saturday that ‘I have once again transmitted the support of the PP for the containment measures against Coronavirus.’ Inés Arrimadas, leader of the Ciudadanos (Cs) party, has also indicated that her party would support an extension of the state of alarm.
ALSO READ: Lockdown in Spain set to be extended until 26 April
Pep Guardiola’s mother dies of Coronavirus
Dolors Sala Carrió, the mother of former FC Barcelona and current Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola, died on Monday from Coronavirus at the age of 82, in Manresa, Barcelona.
‘Everyone associated with the club sends their most heartfelt sympathy at this most distressing time to Pep, his family and all their friends,’ stated the Manchester City club on social media.
Pep Guardiola recently participated in the campaign against Coronavirus and personally donating 1m euros to the Angel Soler Daniel Foundation in Barcelona to purchase medical equipment.
ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain: unemployment figures worst on record
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.
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: Coronavirus in Spain full update (6 April)
ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain full update (5 April)
ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain full update (4 April)
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.
