FOR THE first day ever since the pandemic hit Spain, nobody has died from Covid-19, according to the ministry of health – in fact, if the situation continues to evolve favourably, the country could be out of lockdown sooner than thought.
So far, a total of 27,127 people in Spain have died from the SARS-CoV-2 virus – of whom
63 are healthcare workers and the majority over 75 – and although no fatalities have been reported in some regions for several weeks, the daily total in hotspots such as Madrid and Barcelona has consistently been at least in double figures.
Also, contagion rates, which were at their highest in these two areas, have just fallen below 100 a day nationwide for the first time, with 71 new diagnoses in the last 24 hours of whom nearly half were split more or less equally between Madrid and Barcelona.
Health Emergency and Alerts Coordination Centre leader Fernando Simón says this is the first 24-hour period with no deaths since the first fatal case of the Coronavirus in the country was reported on March 4.
No deaths from Covid-19 have been registered in the past week in Ceuta, Melilla or Extremadura, although the latter reported six in the previous week; Andalucía and Asturias have registered just one, and the Comunidad Valenciana suffered three, although several of this Mediterranean region's healthcare catchment areas have not had a single fatality in months.
Spain's government says if the reduction in cases and fatalities continues, it may be in a position to authorise movement of people between provinces or even regions by as early as next Monday (June 8).
From today (Monday, June 1), 70% of the country's land-mass, home to 32 million people, are now on 'Phase 2', with the regions of Madrid and Castilla y León, plus the Barcelona metropolitan area and the Lleida-province health departments of Alt Pirineu and the Arán Valley, remaining on 'Phase 1'.
The Canarian islands of La Graciosa, El Hierro and La Gomera, and the Balearic island of Formentera, are now on the final stage, 'Phase 3', meaning they could be out of lockdown altogether from next week or the following.
'Phase 2' means shop premises can open, bars and restaurants can allow customers to use their inside areas, although maximum numbers of people – a third of the usual total – still apply.
Also, in 'Phase 2', residents can now go to their nearest beach or use the communal pools on their urbanisations.
