Spain in English

Coronavirus in Spain full update (13 April)

Click here for today’s full report: Coronavirus in Spain (27 April)

Report below updated in Spain at 20h on Monday 13 April.

The latest figures released by the Spanish Health Ministry at 11.30am on Monday 13 April now confirm 169,496 known cases of Coronavirus (Covid-19) in Spain, 3,477 more than yesterday – the lowest number of new infections in a 24 hour period since 20 March, as many non-essential workers also start a return to work in Spain on Monday.

Factory and construction workers in Spain are returning to work, as well as other non-essential office workers, with police handing out face masks at metro and train stations (see report below).

Sunday’s figure in Spain had seen an increase in confirmed cases of Coronavirus of 4,167 over Saturday – and Saturday’s figure an increase of 4,830 on Friday. Friday’s figure had seen an increase of 4,576 on Thursday – and Thursday had been an increase of 5,756 over Wednesday.

17,489 people have now died from the pandemic in Spain, up by 517 on yesterday.

Sunday had seen an increase of 619 deaths over Saturday’s figure. On Saturday, Spain had recorded its lowest daily increase in deaths (510) since 23 March. Friday had seen an increase in deaths of 605 – with Thursday’s figure having been 683. 

64,727 people have now made a full recovery.

Of the official figures announced, 47,146 confirmed cases are known to be in the Madrid region, and where 6,423 have died (from the total 17,489 across the country).

There are now 34,726 cases in Catalonia (3,538 deaths), 11,018 in the Basque Country (831 deaths), 10,187 in Andalusia (815), 14,054 in Castilla La Mancha (1,626) and 9,060 in Valencia region (876).

Figures for those infected with Coronavirus in other regions are as follows: Aragón 4,187 (464 deaths), Asturias 1,958 (149 deaths), Balearic Islands 1,550 (117), Canary Islands 1,944 (96), Cantabria 1,777 (117), Castilla y León 12,628 (1,263), Ceuta 95 (4), Extremadura 2,658 (321), Galicia 7,494 (284), Melilla 101 (2), Murcia 1,463 (101), Navarra 4,092 (239) and La Rioja 3,358 (223).

The Spanish Health Ministry has not been giving complete figures for the number of people in intensive care units (ICUs) for various days, because Spain’s regions have been using different methods to collate these figures.

The exact number of deaths from Coronavirus in Spain could also be higher, since health authorities previously admitted that only those who died after testing positive have been included in the official death toll.

Some regional authorities have warned that the number of death certificates issued, particularly for those who have died in elderly residential homes, is higher than the official death toll.

There have also been issues with the timing of statistics sent to Madrid’s Health Ministry from each region, particularly during the weekend periods. Figures issued on Tuesdays by the ministry have sometimes reflected statistics not taken into account during the reports issued on Saturday and Sunday.

This report is being updated throughout the day.

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain full update (12 April)

Local police ready to hand out face masks to people using public transport on Monday morning, in the municipality of San Fernando de Henares, Madrid region. (Photo courtesy of local council of San Fernando de Henares, @Ayto_SFH / Twitter)

GLOBAL OVERVIEW

The death toll from the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic has started to slow in some of the worst-hit nations, with Spain also reopening sectors of its economy on Monday (see below).

Italy, France and the USA have all registered a drop in the rate of Covid-19 deaths in the past 24 hours. Italy – still the European nation most afflicted – reported its lowest toll in more than three weeks.

The figures were announced on Easter Sunday, with Pope Francis delivering an unprecedented online message to a world under lockdown, and with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaving hospital and thanking the state-run National Health Service (NHS) for saving his life in a video message from Chequers.

‘A week in which the NHS has saved my life, no question,’ Johnson said. The UK has now logged more than 10,000 deaths, with 737 new deaths reported on Sunday.

In the USA, currently the world’s worst-hit nation with a fifth of all deaths and more than half a million confirmed cases – Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, said that the pandemic may have reached its peak.

‘We are hoping by the end of the month [April] we can look around and say, OK, is there any element here that we can safely and cautiously start pulling back on?’ he told CNN. US President Donald Trump had previously wanted the country to be back to normal by Easter.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned countries against lifting lockdown restrictions too early.

Meanwhile, a total of 108 new Coronavirus cases were reported in mainland China on Sunday. The northeast Heilongjiang province which borders Russia has become the new battleground against the virus, driven by infected travellers from overseas.

China fears a rise in imported cases could spark a second wave of Covid-19 and push the country back into a state of near paralysis.

CORONAVIRUS in SPAIN

Many non-essential restrictions lifted

Amidst criticism from some of Spain’s regional leaders and trade unions – as well as from within his own coalition cabinet – the Spanish government led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has lifted some of the country’s ‘non-essential’ work restrictions, with factory and construction workers in Spain being allowed to return to work on Monday. Police and local authorities are handing out face masks at metro and train stations, as well as at bus and tram stops.

Local police and civil protection authorities in the city of Getafe in the Madrid region, handing out facemarks to public transport users on Monday morning. (Photo courtesy of city council of Getafe / @aytogetafe / Twitter)

The Spanish government has also asked citizens travelling to work to wear face masks in public places and on public transport, where possible, and to continue the ‘social distancing’ of standing one or two metres from other people.

Face masks are not obligatory by law, however. Spain has so far had a shortage of face masks available for the public. The Spanish Interior Ministry said at the weekend that it would start distributing 10m face masks to public transport users on Monday.

Although the official ‘state of alarm’ lockdown in Spain has only recently been officially extended until 26 April, many other non-essential office workers are also being allowed to return to their workplaces on Monday. Retail shops, bars, restaurants and catering businesses (except for home delivery services) still remain closed, however.

It follows the end of a two-week halt of all non-essential activity, although Sánchez has warned that Spain is ‘far from victory’.

‘We are all keen to go back out on the streets,’ Sánchez said on Sunday, ‘but our desire is even greater to win the war and prevent a relapse.’

An image tweeted by the railway network in Madrid (@CercaníasMadrid) on Monday morning, showing some people travelling to work, maintaining ‘social distancing’ on the platform.

Whilst the fortnight of ‘economic hibernation’ is being lifted, the rest of the lockdown restrictions for the population of around 47m people remain in place.

Spain originally commenced 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. These initial measures were then extended 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, thereby returning to work during or after the Easter weekend (Monday 13 April is a holiday in most regions of Spain).

Under the new extension of the original lockdown measures, therefore, most non-essential workers can now also return to work – although the Spanish government has stressed that the relaxing of the lockdown restrictions is only for industrial and construction workers, and for employees in sectors where working from home isn’t possible.

The public must continue to remain at home unless they have legitimate reasons to leave the house. This again now includes going to work if you are considered an ‘essential worker’, or going to purchase essential supplies, for example to a supermarket, convenience store or chemist.

Another image tweeted by the transport network in Madrid (@CercaníasMadrid) showing commuters wearing masks and maintaining ‘social distancing’ on the platform.

You are also allowed to leave home to walk your dog. Additionally, you are allowed to leave home to assist a ‘vulnerable’ person that you are responsible for, such as an elderly relative – but you might be required to show proof of this.

Only one person at a time is allowed to carry out any of these essential tasks. Couples or more than one family member cannot leave home together for the same reason.

Criticism from regional governments

Catalan President Quim Torra sent a letter to the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez at the weekend, stating that, ‘lifting these confinement measures … will lead to an increase of transmissions and a collapse of Catalonia’s health system’.

‘We request that you send us the health and epidemiological reports that Spain’s government has in order to lift the measures,’ the letter reads.

Torra claims that his stance is backed by scientists and researchers in Catalonia, as well as the health department experts, and almost all officials of hospitals, professional associations and other entities representing the health sector in Catalonia.

Isabel Díaz Ayuso, president of the regional government of Madrid, has also expressed her doubts about lifting the restrictions. ‘Another wave [of infections] would be unforgivable,’ she said.

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:

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain full update (12 April)

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain full update (11 April)

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain full update (10 April)

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain full update (9 April)

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain full update (8 April)

ALSO READ: Coronavirus in Spain full update (7 April)

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.

Exit mobile version