(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Spain registered yesterday its lowest daily number of coronavirus deaths since mid-March, as half the population prepared for an easing of one of Europe's strictest lockdowns.
Emergency Health Chief Fernando Simon said in a press conference that the daily death toll of 143 down from 179 on Saturday was the lowest since March 18.
'We continue with the downward trend reported in recent days, he said.
Overall deaths rose to 26,621 from 26,478 on Saturday and the number of diagnosed coronavirus cases rose to 224,390 from 223,578 the day before, the health ministry said.
Some 51% of the population will progress to Phase 1 of a four-step easing plan today after the government decided the regions in which they lived met the necessary criteria.
It will include a considerable easing of measures that will allow gatherings of up to 10 people and let people move around their province.
In regions that made the cut, such as the Canary and Balearic Islands, bars, restaurants and shops will open at reduced capacity.
Museums, gyms and hotels will open their doors for the first time in nearly two months.
But Spain's two biggest cities Madrid and Barcelona do not currently meet the criteria for easing and will remain on Phase 0.
Regional governments in some areas that have not been allowed to pass completely to Phase 1, including Andalusia and Madrid, have been vocal in criticising the decision.
'It's a blow for the economy, Madrid regional President Isabel Diaz Ayuso said in an interview with newspaper El Mundo yesterday. 'If everything continues as the experts indicate, this virus is going to be here for between one and two years, so since it is a long race for the health service we have to go to the next phase.
Cyclists, joggers and walkers, many wearing face masks, packed the bridges and streets around Madrid Rio park yesterday morning, as the park itself remained closed.
'Madrid is still in Phase 0, we can't move onto Phase 1 tomorrow and I think that's the right decision. I don't think Madrid is ready yet to move onto the next phase, said David Starton, 53, from Scotland, who has lived in Madrid for 20 years. 'It's unfortunate, it's quite sad and we'll just have to put up with another week of restrictions and lockdown.
Meanwhile, deaths from the coronavirus epidemic in Italy rose by 165 yesterday, against 194 the day before, the Civil Protection Agency said as the daily tally of new cases fell to 802 from 1,083 on Saturday.
The total death toll since the outbreak came to light on February 21 now stands at 30,560 the agency said, the third highest in the world after those of the United States and Britain.
It was the lowest daily death toll since March 9, although in recent weeks of the epidemic the daily death count has tended to fall on Sundays, only to rise again the following day.
For the first time since early March new cases were under 1,000 with the total number of confirmed cases amounting to 219,070, the third highest global tally behind those of the United States and Spain.
People registered as currently carrying the illness fell to 83,324 from 84,842 the day before.
There were 1,027 people in intensive care yesterday, edging down from 1,034 on Saturday, maintaining a long-running decline.
Of those originally infected, 105,186 were declared recovered against 103,031 a day earlier.
The agency said 1.676mn people had been tested for the virus against 1.645mn on Saturday, out of a population of around 60mn.
Last Monday Italy started to gradually lift draconian restrictions the government had imposed in early March to contain the outbreak, allowing people to leave their homes more freely and companies to reopen.
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