Spain sees fewest daily COVID-19 deaths in a month

By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) - With 367 more official deaths registered on Friday, Spain saw the lowest COVID-19 daily death toll since March 20.

After being devastated by the virus since mid-March, Spain has confirmed a total of 22,524 COVID-19 deaths. Friday’s death toll is around one-third of what it was during the peak in early April.

Spain reached another major milestone on Friday. For the first time, more people recovered from COVID-19 than were confirmed to be infected via PCR tests.

On Friday, the Health Ministry registered 3,105 more recoveries and confirmed just 2,796 new infections with the gold-standard test.

In total, over 92,000 people have recovered and 219,764 have been confirmed to have been infected using both polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and antibody tests.

While the lockdown is proving effective, it has taken a distressing toll on many residents of Spain.

On Thursday, Cáritas, one of the largest charities in the country, said that petitions for help in Madrid have tripled since the start of the crisis. According to a press release, 40% of the people asking for help to cover their basic needs have never used the service before.

Spain has devised a plan for a guaranteed minimum income, expected to be officially legislated in May. It aims to provide around €500 ($537) to the most economically vulnerable individuals and families.

Spain has been under one of the world’s strictest lockdowns since March 14, which is set to continue until at least May 9.