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As the Associated Press reported, on March 3, Spain recorded its first COVID-19 deaths. The next day would be the last without any deaths from the virus until June 1. That’s despite the fact that the country reached its peak in deaths over a 24-hour period on April 2, almost two months earlier, when it reported 950 deaths.
The nation of 47 million has so far recorded a total of 240,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, and more than 27,000 known deaths from the disease.
The first day with zero new COVID-19 deaths is not only a significant milestone, but comes at a time when the country is announcing plans for the future.
Spain’s emergency health response chief, Fernando Simón, told AP News that the day without any new deaths is “very, very encouraging.”
“We are in a very good place in the evolution of the pandemic,” he said, adding that on the same day, the country had only confirmed 71 new cases. “The statistics are following a trend. They are going in the right direction.”
Spain was the second nation in Europe to bear the brunt of the disease’s spread after Italy.
In response, the government instituted one of the strictest lockdown measures in Europe, hoping to ease the strain on the nation’s healthcare system. In recent weeks, the nation has seen large, loud protests organized by the far-right Vox Party over the effects the lockdown has had on the economy, Reuters reported.
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However, the government recently announced measures it would be taking to ease the lockdown.
Later in June, the nation expects to start up its top soccer league again, and in July it will begin welcoming tourists again.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was light on the details in his announcement, saying only that “From July, foreign tourism will resume in safe conditions. We will guarantee tourists will not take any risks and will not bring us any risks,” without adding any specifics as to the measures the government will take to enforce that guarantee.
Tourism accounts for about an eighth of the Spanish economy, and the peak tourist season was just beginning when the lockdown took effect, Reuters reported.
It’s important to note, however, that those are just plans.
Sanchez also asked his nation’s parliament for a two-week extension of the emergency powers that allow him to order citizens to stay at home. Sanchez said that the government is continuing to monitor the COVID-19 situation carefully, focusing now on outbreaks springing up that he attributed to unauthorized “fiestas.”
“We are still at risk. Any of these outbreaks can mean a new wave of infections,” Sanchez said, according to AP News. “We must remain cautious.”
