Spain crossed the threshold of 10,000 coronavirus deaths on Thursday after recording 950 deaths in 24 hours, a record in the country, authorities said. Second most mourning country in the world after the disease after Italy, Spain now totals 10,003 victims of the Covid-19, a fatal toll multiplied by ten in just two weeks. The number of confirmed cases in the country has surpassed the 110,000 mark, but daily progress has slowed slightly further (+ 7.9% since Wednesday against + 8.2% the previous day and + 18% there is a week).
"The curve has stabilized"
"The data shows us that the curve has stabilized, that we have reached the first objective of reaching the peak of the curve and that we have entered the slowdown phase" of the pandemic, said the Minister of Health Salvador Illa.
The daily increase in the number of deaths stabilized Thursday at + 10.5% in 24 hours against 10.6% the previous day and 19.1% a week ago.
While many hospitals are overwhelmed, the increase in the number of intensive care patients (6,092) also slowed to + 3.7% Thursday against + 20% a week ago.
The Madrid region and Catalonia very affected
Another positive sign is that there are still more people healed, reaching 26,743, or almost a quarter (24%) of confirmed cases.
Madrid remains the most affected region with almost a third of cases and 42% of deaths, although the disease also particularly affects Catalonia, which now has more intensive care patients than the capital.
The approximately 47 million Spaniards have been subjected since mid-March to one of the strictest confinements in Europe. They can only leave their home to buy food, get treatment, and quickly walk their dog.
"Historical" rise in unemployment
This quasi-quarantine was reinforced on Monday: only activities essential to supply the country are now authorized. Those who, like construction workers or factory workers, could not work from home, are now stopped until Easter, April 12.
The paralysis of the economy is already being felt in the unemployment figures. Spain on Thursday registered a "historic" rise in unemployment in March with more than 300,000 additional job seekers due to the "extraordinary impact" of the coronavirus pandemic, announced the Ministry of Labor.