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Coronavirus in Spain full update (27 April)

Click here for today’s full report: Coronavirus in Spain (8 May)

ALSO READ: Lifting of lockdown in Spain – full details of all phases & regions

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Report below updated in Spain at 11.50h on Monday 27 April.

The latest official figures* released by Spain’s Health Ministry in Madrid at 11.15h on Monday 27 April confirm that 23,521 people have now died from the pandemic in Spain, up by 331 on yesterday.

Sunday had seen an increase of 288 Coronavirus-related deaths over Saturday – the lowest figure since 20 March. Saturday had been an increase of 378 over Friday. Friday had been 367.

The current peak of recorded deaths related to Coronavirus in a 24-hour period in Spain was on 2 April, when 950 deaths were registered.

On Sunday, up to three children under the age of 14 accompanied by an adult, guardian or elder sibling in Spain were allowed out for an hour a day to walk and exercise. The relaxing of restrictions, however, was met with mixed success as far as following the government’s new guidelines (see report below).

The Health Ministry has recently changed its criteria for the way the data of those infected with Coronavirus is presented. Figures released on Monday 27 April show a total figure of those who have only tested positive through a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test. That figure is 209,465 – an increase of 1,831 over yesterday.

The current peak of recorded infections for a 24-hour period in Spain was on 31 March, when 9,222 new cases were registered.

100,875 people have now made a full recovery, an increase of 2,144.

With regards the official figures released by the central Health Ministry for each region of Spain, there have been discrepancies in the data released independently by some of those regions, particularly for Madrid and Catalonia. Please refer to *Health Ministry data and regional discrepancies below.

Of the official figures released by the ministry today – and based only on the total 209,465 confirmed cases through PCR testing – there are now 59,421 cases in the Madrid region and where 7,986 have died (from the total 23,521 across the country). There are now 47,755 cases in Catalonia and where 4,699 have died.

There are now 12,513 known cases in the Basque Country (1,241 deaths), 11,852 in Andalusia (1,157), 15,664 in Castilla La Mancha (2,365) and 10,180 in the Valencia region (1,189).

Figures for those infected with Coronavirus in other regions* are now as follows: Aragón 4,985 (726 deaths), Asturias 2,254 (253 deaths), Balearic Islands 1,859 (179), Canary Islands 2,178 (131), Cantabria 2,104 (186), Castilla y León 16,404 (1,690), Ceuta 100 (4), Extremadura 2,749 (428), Galicia 9,238 (405), Melilla 110 (2), Murcia 1,474 (128), Navarra 4,733 (432) and La Rioja 3,892 (320).

A full breakdown in Spanish of the data per region, together with age group statistics can be found by clicking here. Please also see ‘Health Ministry data and discrepancies’ below.

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Local police (Guardia Urbana) in Barcelona carrying out road checks during the on-going lockdown. (Photo Guardia Urbana / @barcelona_GUB / Twitter)

GLOBAL OVERVIEW 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson returned to work on Monday and made a statement outside Downing Street. He said that the UK was beginning to ‘turn the tide’ against Coronavirus, thanks to the public’s sense of ‘altruism, spirit and community’.

‘The United Kingdom will emerge stronger than ever before,’ said Johnson, if the country can show the same ‘optimism and energy’ as Captain Tom Moore. The 99-year-old war veteran recently raised £29m for the NHS by walking laps of his garden. On Monday it was also announced that the UK’s Royal Mail would be stamping all letters sent until Friday with a message to celebrate Moore’s forthcoming 100th birthday.

‘If you keep going in the way that you have kept going so far,’ said Johnson to the British public on Monday morning outside No.10 Downing Street, ‘then I have absolutely no doubt that we will beat it [the pandemic] together.’

Johnson said that the public and businesses in general would have to wait before restrictions were lifted, however, saying that easing the lockdown would ‘throw away the effort and sacrifice of British people’.

‘I understand your impatience,’ said Johnson, but that the country ‘must also recognise the risk of a second spike.’

Johnson had started his statement by saying, ‘I am sorry I have been away from my desk for much longer than I would have liked’. Speaking from ‘personal experience’ about Coronavirus, he also said that the virus was like ‘a mugger’ – but that ‘this is the moment when we are beginning to wrestle it to the floor’.

CORONAVIRUS in SPAIN 

Children enjoy first ‘hour of freedom’

Children across Spain enjoyed their first ‘hour of ‘freedom’ on Sunday, after the country relaxed some of its strict confinement restrictions as part of the current ‘state of alarm’ Coronavirus lockdown. There was mixed success, however, regarding following all the guidelines that have been set by the government.

After 43 days confined at home, children up to the age of 14 were officially allowed out for an hour accompanied by one parent, a guardian or elder sibling (over the age of 18), to walk, run, cycle, scooter or play.

The government stated that the daily walk is allowed only between 9am to 9pm – and that ‘peak hours’ should be avoided.

The Spanish government’s guidelines for up to 3 children to be allowed out with 1 adult, once a day, 1 hour maximum, 1km from home and only between 9am-9pm.

Children under 14 are not allowed to be outside alone and the daily walks with adults must not be further than one kilometre away from the home.

Children can exercise and run, however, as well as play with balls or use skateboards, scooters, rollerblades and bicycles, but only if they respect the 2 metre social distancing rule with others, as well as remain close to their parents or guardians.

It is not compulsory for children to wear face masks, but it is recommended.

Images posted on social media across Spain yesterday showed that whilst many parents were following the guidelines closely, many families didn’t. Police can issue fines of up to €1,500 for those not sticking to the new rules.

Many images of parents and children in large groups out and about in Spain went viral on social media on Sunday, with an ‘irresponsible’ hashtag becoming a ‘trending topic’.

Adults in Spain are hoping to be able to take exercise and daily walks from this coming Saturday.

In a televised address at the weekend, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that adults in Spain will be able to leave home for individual physical exercise and walks from next Saturday 2 May, ‘if the evolution of the pandemic keeps moving in a positive manner’.

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*Health Ministry data and regional discrepancies

The Spanish Health Ministry has not been giving complete figures for the number of people in intensive care units (ICUs) for over 10 days, because some of Spain’s 17 regions had been using different methods to collate these figures. There had also been discrepancies in how some of the regions had been collating the statistics for the number of deaths from Coronavirus.

In Catalonia, for example, the regional health department had only previously been counting figures for those who had died in hospitals. This was then changed to include data provided by funeral homes, which includes those who have died not only in hospitals but also in nursing homes, social health centres or elderly residences, as well as at home.

Last Friday, following discrepancies in the way that data has been collated, the Spanish government published an order in its Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE)to clarify the criteria that must be used.

All regions must now report deaths and ICU admissions in the same way. A victim can only be counted in the death tally if they have tested positive for Covid-19 via a PCR (polymerase chain reaction testing) or rapid test. The same applies to confirmed infections.

The Health Ministry has also requested that each region send in the total number of infections divided into symptomatic and asymptomatic cases. In addition, they also require the number of PCR tests carried out from each region, the total number of people that have required hospital treatment, including intensive care, as well as the number of patients who have been discharged.

Salvador Illa, the Spanish Health Minister, has said that, ‘Spain is following a very strict definition of cases in line with international authorities, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Anyone who tests positive for Covid-19 and then dies is considered a Coronavirus fatality’.

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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: Children enjoy first ‘hour of freedom’ in 43 days

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

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

ALSO READ: Opinion: why bullfights should stay cancelled after Covid-19

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

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

ALSO READ: Spain votes to extend lockdown to 9 May. Children to be allowed out

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

ALSO READ: Spanish government: children can go with adults to supermarkets, but not parks

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

ALSO READ: Pedro Sánchez seeks cross-party ‘Moncloa Pact’ for recovery programme

ALSO READ: Co-Vida: an inspiring community action project

ALSO READ: One day more, one day less

ALSO READ: ‘Up on the Roof’ – surviving lockdown from above

ALSO READ: Open Arms refugee NGO helping to combat Coronavirus

ALSO READ: When can La Liga restart?

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

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

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

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

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: ‘This virus we will stop together’ – video 

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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