Coronavirus in Spain full update (10 May)

Latest: Coronavirus in Spain figures (21 May)

ALSO READ: Lifting of lockdown in Spain – full details of all phases, regions & provinces, plus what is permitted in each phase

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Report below updated in Spain at 13h on Sunday 10 May

CORONAVIRUS in SPAIN – today’s figures

The latest official figures* for Coronavirus (Covid-19) released by Spain’s Health Ministry in Madrid at 11am on Sunday 10 May confirm that 26,621 people have now died from the pandemic in Spain, up by 143 on yesterday – but the lowest figure since 18 March.

Saturday had seen an increase of 179 Coronavirus-related deaths over Friday. Friday had been an increase of 229 over Thursday. Thursday had been 213.

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.

Official figures released daily by the Spanish Health Ministry are for the total number of people who have tested positive for Coronavirus only through a PCR test (polymerase chain reaction). That figure for Sunday 10 May is 224,390 – an increase of 621 over yesterday.

Saturday’s figure for the increase of infections tested only through PCR had been 604 over Friday. Friday’s comparative figure had been 1,095 over Thursday. Thursday had been 754 over Wednesday.

A total figure also released today by the ministry for those who have tested positive through PCR and antibody testing, however, is 264,670 (224,390 PCR; 40,273 antibody).

The current peak of recorded infections for a 24-hour period in Spain was on 31 March, when 9,222 new cases were registered (including from PCR and antibody).

136,166 people have now made a full recovery.

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 224,390 confirmed cases through PCR testing – there have now been 64,787 cases in the Madrid region and where 8,644 have died (from the total 26,621 across the country). There have been 52,086 cases in Catalonia and where 5,532 have died.

There are now 13,156 known cases in the Basque Country (1,418 deaths), 12,315 in Andalusia (1,320), 16,343 in Castilla La Mancha (2,759) and 10,713 in the Valencia region (1,323).

Figures for those infected with Coronavirus in other regions are now as follows: Aragón 5,316 (824 deaths), Asturias 2,343 (295 deaths), Balearic Islands 1,950 (209), Canary Islands 2,258 (148), Cantabria 2,244 (201), Castilla y León 17,917 (1,897), Ceuta 110 (4), Extremadura 2,912 (480), Galicia 9,253 (592), Melilla 119 (2), Murcia 1,508 (139), Navarra 5,052 (488) and La Rioja 4,008 (346).

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.

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

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CORONAVIRUS in SPAIN – latest updates

In a televised address on Saturday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called for ‘prudence and caution’ ahead of 51% of the Spanish population moving to Phase One of the de-escalation of lockdown restrictions on Monday.

He called upon citizens to ‘follow all the rules and precautions’ as it was the ‘best way to interrupt the contagion’ of Coronavirus.

‘In these past eight weeks [since the start of the lockdown on 14 March],’ said Sánchez on Saturday, ‘Spain has proved itself to be a humane community. All of the society has acted like a community … joined together by bonds of affection and care.’

‘We have saved lives, but also lost many more,’ said Sánchez. ‘What has set Spain apart has been the magnificent response of the people … [and] exceptional responsibility and social discipline.’

From Monday 11 May, Sánchez said that ‘more than half of the Spanish population will get back a major part of their lives.’

But he said that ‘the virus has not disappeared. The fight will continue until there is a vaccine.’

Phase One starting Monday for 51% of population

On Friday evening the Spanish Health Ministry announced what regions, provinces and also healthcare zones are moving to Phase One on Monday 11 May – as well as those that will remain in Phase Zero.

According to Spain’s Health Minister, Salvador Illa, the number of areas moving to Phase One represents about 51% of Spain’s population.

The government has published the details for what is now permitted from Monday for people living in the regions and provinces during Phase One in its Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE).

We have published all the key rules and measures regarding the four phases in a separate report, together with the current ‘phase status’ for each region. It is regularly updated as and when new measures are officially announced. The report can be found here: Lifting of lockdown in Spain – full details of all phases for all regions.

‘State of alarm’ extended to 24 May

Last Wednesday the Spanish Congress also voted to officially extend the current ‘state of alarm’ lockdown in Spain until 24 May. It is the fourth time that the lockdown has been extended, having started on 14 March.

The overall lockdown will continue at least until 24 May whilst Spain also continues with the ‘four phase de-escalation plan‘ of gradually lifting restrictions, depending on the progress of each region.

On Thursday, Spain’s first deputy prime minister Carmen Calvo said in an interview that it was almost certain that Spain would still need ‘some more weeks’ of lockdown even further than 24 May.

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*Health Ministry data 

Since 24 April, the Spanish Health Ministry changed its criteria for presenting Coronavirus statistics. The official daily figure for the number of infections is now for those tested only via PCR (polymerase chain reaction).

The ministry has also stipulated to Spain’s regional health authorities how the overall data should be collated, as some regions had been using different methods to collate their own figures.

In Catalonia, for example, the regional health department had only previously been counting figures for those who had died from Coronavirus in hospitals. This was then changed to include figures for those who had also died in nursing homes, social health centres or elderly residences, as well as at home.

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 intensive care unit (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 Health Ministry also requests each region to 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, 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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