Spain death toll soars

But government notes decline in rate of daily increase

Spain’s coronavirus death toll continues to skyrocket as the total soared past 6,500 Sunday.

The Spanish Health Ministry announced that 838 people had died in the past 24 hours, the highest oneday number since the outbreak began, bringing the total to 6,528.

But officials also noted the rate of daily increase fell to 14%, the lowest since March 14; Saturday’s death toll represented a 17% increase.

The number of cases rose by about 6,500 to almost 79,000 people, fourth behind the United States, China and Italy, but showed only a 9% increase in infections, down from 18% three days earlier.

“It seems the evolution has stabilized and could even be starting to fall, but the fundamental problem now is to ensure that our ICUs aren’t saturated,” Health Ministry spokesman Fernando Simon said at a news conference.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced late Saturday that all nonessential workers must stay home from Monday to April 9 as part of a nationwide lockdown that hopes to stem the spread of coronavirus.

“These are very tough, sad, bitter days. But they are decisive because they are the ones in which we have to measure ourselves. And then we will have an entire life to remember that in the difficult times, resisting, united, Spain made the grade,” he said.

Nonessential employees will still be paid, but will be expected to make up for the missed hours later, Sanchez said.

In Madrid, the hardest-hit area in Spain, government officials are working to build a second makeshift morgue to handle the dead. An ice skating rink at the Ice Palace was already converted last week.

Sanchez has called on the European Union to provide aid to Spain, joining similar calls from France and Italy.

“It is the most difficult moment for the EU since its foundation and it has to be ready to rise to the challenge,” Sanchez said.

Outbreak hotspots Madrid and Catalonia account for half of the total positive cases in the country, and hospitals and other medical facilities are struggling to keep up.

Death is in the air in Madrid on Sunday as coffin is carried for burial, relatives watch (upper right) as coronavirus victim is taken for cremation, and a woman arrives (lower right) for yet another funeral.