The death toll in Spain has increased by 394 in the past 24 hours, up nearly 30%, bringing the total to 1,720 since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the Health Ministry announced on Sunday.
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The number of confirmed cases increased from 3,646 from Saturday to Sunday to reach 28,572, while the second most affected country in Europe is increasing its testing capacity. 2,575 patients were declared cured but 1,785 people are in intensive care.
Strict containment for 8 days
According to several media sources, the head of government Pedro Sanchez, who warned on Saturday that "the hardest wave" was yet to come, is about to ask the parliament to extend the proclaimed state of alert for another 15 days for two weeks. Since March 14, the 46 million Spaniards are subject to strict confinement, and can only leave their homes, always alone, to buy basic necessities and go to work when telework is not possible, or briefly take out their dog. The strictest measures in Europe according to Pedro Sanchez.
The surge in cases has put a strain on the health care system, and the government has mobilized final-year medical and nursing students and retirees to deal with the influx of patients into the often overcrowded hospitals.
In Madrid, the military helped transform trade fair pavilions into a field hospital where the first patients were transferred overnight from Saturday to Sunday. This hospital should eventually have 5,500 beds, which would make it the largest of its kind in Europe.