Spain has fewest deaths in month

By Laura Millan Lombrana

Spain reported the smallest increase in the number of coronavirus deaths in four weeks on Sunday, while new infections slowed compared with previous days. 

Coronavirus deaths rose by 410 to 20,453 on Sunday, that’s the smallest one-day increase since March 22, when 394 people died, citing Spain’s Health Ministry, reports Bloomberg.

In total 195,944 people have been infected with the novel coronavirus in Spain, with 4,218 new cases detected in the past 24 hours. That’s a decline after four consecutive days with new cases above 5,000. The number of people cured rose to 77,357, authorities reported.

The lockdown, which has been in place since mid-March could be extended well into May. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a televised speech on Saturday that he would ask lawmakers to extend it from the current end-date of April 25 to May 9.

Spain Saturday became the second European country after Italy to report more than 20,000 deaths linked to the virus. Still, officials say the outbreak is cresting.