Spain suffers deadliest day with 849 coronavirus deaths

The outbreak has now claimed 8,189 lives in Spain

The government is betting that severe restrictions on public life at least through the Easter weekend will help curtail the spread of the disease

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Members of the country’s military emergency unit prepare to disinfect at a nursing home in Madrid, Spain on Tuesday. Photo: AP

Published: 10:40pm, 31 Mar 2020Updated: 4:28am, 1 Apr 2020

Spain reported its deadliest day since the coronavirus crisis started, leaving hospitals overflowing with sick patients and the government struggling to bring the spread of the disease under control.

The total number of deaths rose by 849 to 8,189 in the past 24 hours, according to Health Ministry data. The number of new cases increased by 9,222 on Tuesday – the most in a single day – to bring the total confirmed infections in the country to 94,417.

The Spanish government is betting that severe restrictions on public life at least through the Easter weekend will help curtail the spread of the disease, which has killed more people in Spain than in China where the pandemic started.

A two-week, nationwide lockdown began March 14, when the government announced a state of emergency, and was subsequently extended to April 11.

Now on day 18 of the lockdown, Spain has sought to dramatically ramp up testing. It is sourcing kits from around the world to test some 50,000 people per day, up from the current 20,000.