Yahoo News Coronavirus: Spain records 'world's highest number of COVID-19 deaths in a day'
Spain’s coronavirus death toll has climbed by 950 to more than 10,000, which is thought to be the largest daily increase in COVID-19 related deaths.
The country now has 10,003 recorded deaths and more than 110,000 infections.
Spain’s coronavirus crisis has rapidly escalated to levels seen only by Italy so far among European nations, and has passed China’s official recorded number of cases.
On Friday, Italy posted what was then thought to be the highest increase of coronavirus-related deaths, recording a rise of 919. More than 13,000 people have died in Italy in total.
It remains the second worst-affected country in terms of cases, behind the US.
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Data from Spain’s health ministry shows the rise in infections is slowing. The country has confirmed 110,238 cases, a rise of almost 8% overnight.
Health authorities said that is down from the daily average of a 20% increase that was recorded up to 25 March.
The Spanish government has acknowledged the number of people infected could be much higher because its health services are only able to carry out between 15,000 and 20,000 tests a day.
Spain and Italy have called on the EU to provide more help.
“It is the most difficult moment for the EU since its foundation and it has to be ready to rise to the challenge,” Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sanchez said last week.
The US has confirmed the most cases, with more than 216,000 as of Thursday morning, and has recorded more than 5,000 deaths, with a fifth of those coming from New York City.
Globally, there are more than 939,000 cases and 47,000 people have died after testing positive for the coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
More than 195,000 people are known to have recovered
However, the number of infections and even deaths is likely to be much higher due to countries’ limited testing capacities and the way authorities in every nation record their figures.
