Coronavirus: Spain death toll surpasses 1,000 as Germany threatens curfews
The death toll in Spain due to coronavirus has surpassed 1,000 as it climbed by 235 today.
There are now 19,980 confirmed cases of Covid-19 across the country, while Germany has threatened to impose strict curfews.
More than a third of the cases in Spain are in the capital of Madrid.
Army specialists were sent into care homes on Friday to help disinfect them with the virus having killed more than 50 people at elderly care facilities in the region.
Health authorities have warned the peak of the crisis is still days away and hospitals are already near operating capacity.
Problems have been exacerbated by a severe shortage of protective gear such as masks and gloves.
“The current situation in hospitals in Madrid is critical,” said Ángela Hernández, of the Association of Doctors and Professionals in Madrid. “The health care system in a state of alarm.”
Spanish politician Isabel Diaz Ayuso, who is the President of the Community of Madrid, has denied reports that healthcare workers are being forced to decide who gets potential life-saving care.
“The healthcare system treats all patients equally,” she told Spanish broadcaster Antena 3. “No one is being singled out.”
On Thursday, Spain’s health minister promised reinforcements and announced plans to recruit from groups such as media students and recently retired physicians to add up to 50,000 to the healthcare workforce.
German curfews
Meanwhile in Germany, the head of Angela Merkel’s Chancellory has warned that people’s behaviour this weekend will determine the need for curfews.
“We will be looking at the behavior of the population this weekend,” Helge Braun told Der Spiegel. “Saturday is a crucial day. We have our eye on that day in particular.
“People traditionally arrange to meet each other on Saturdays because they have the day off. But this unfortunately isn’t possible outside of the nuclear family right now. We have to stop meeting up with other people. If that doesn’t happen, decisions will have to be made by the federal states that we would prefer to avoid.”
He added that the Germany government wanted to avoid a strict shelter-in-place curfew if possible.
“For now, we are counting on people understanding the measures and their readiness to restrict their social lives,” he said. And when we look to our neighboring countries, which have already imposed curfews, it becomes clear: It would be an enormous additional burden.”
“After all, very few people, especially in cities, have a backyard or a large piece of property. That’s why we are calling on everyone to take to heart and implement the measures decided so far. And that means refraining from all social contacts except the nuclear family if possible.”