Daily coronavirus fatalities in Spain fall to 164, the lowest figure seen since March 18

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Sunday informed the country’s regional premiers that the number of daily coronavirus-related fatalities has fallen to 164 in the last 24 hours, according to four sources present at the meeting where he communicated the news.

Not since March 18, four days after the state of alarm was implemented by the central government, has that figure been so low.

The number should, however, be viewed with some caution given that since the crisis began there has been underreporting of the data at weekends and also when there are holidays. May 1 was a holiday in all of Spain, as was May 2 in the Madrid region.

New hospitalizations, probably the most solid data point to measure the advance of the Covid-19 disease, came in at 547

That said, there is a clear downward trend in the epidemic, with 276 fatalities reported on Saturday, and nine regions registering no new admissions of coronavirus patients to their ICUs. The number of coronavirus deaths peaked in Spain on April 2, when there were 950 fatalities reported by the Health Ministry. The total number of official coronavirus-related deaths in Spain now stands at 25,264.

According to the latest data, there were 838 new infections as confirmed by the more reliable PCR tests, and 1,247 Covid-19 patients discharged from treatment in the last 24 hours. Since the crisis began, there have been a total of 217,466 infections in Spain confirmed by PCR tests, while 118,902 patients have recovered.

New hospitalizations, probably the most solid data point to measure the advance of the Covid-19 disease, came in at 547 on Sunday, the lowest figure seen since the state of alarm was implemented.

First weekend of exercise

After 48 days of near-total confinement, on Saturday residents of Spain were for the first time allowed out to take walks or other exercise, albeit having to do so within set timetables according to age.

The local police in Barcelona removed citizens from the beaches on Saturday, after they ignored the rules governing the daily exercise that is now permitted. Municipal sources confirmed that groups of people had taken to the beach to watch the sunrise.

Barcelona has not yet reopened its beaches, which were closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, and as such citizens still cannot enter them.

Meanwhile, in Madrid, on Saturday evening police officers had to intervene to clear the Madrid Río park of members of the public, who were walking along its paths despite all parks in the city still being closed.

In one video captured by an EL PAÍS journalist, a mounted officer is seen telling citizens to leave the area, as well as reminding people that children under 14 are only allowed out onto the street from 12pm to 7pm.

Plane crash in Bolivia

Four Spaniards who were traveling in a light aircraft in Bolivia have died after the military plane crashed. The passengers had been left stranded in the South American country and were trying to reach Santa Cruz in order to catch a flight to repatriate them. The two Bolivian members of the crew also died in the accident.

English version by Simon Hunter.