Barcelona Field Studies Centre

Barcelona Coronavirus April 2020 - Daily Updates and Advice for Visiting Groups

Thursday 30 April 2020

813 new positive cases of coronavirus have been reported today in Catalonia today. This brings the total number of infections to 55,137 - a 1.5% increase on yesterday.

55 more people have died in hospital from coronavirus in the last hours, bringing the hospital death toll to 5,952. This is a daily percentage increase of 0.9%. The data for hospital deaths include positively diagnosed and suspected cases. Data for coronavirus deaths in Catalonia are now based on funeral services, rather than hospital reporting, leading to loss of continuity in the records. The funeral services total is 10,311 deceased.

There are 232,080 people reported infected in the whole of Spain, 1,309 more than on Wednsday, a daily percentage increase of 0.6%.

There are 268 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, bringing the total deaths to 24,543 - a daily percentage increase of 1.1%. This is the lowest number of deaths from coronavirus in one day since March 21.

The strict confinement of the population for 47 days is having the desired mitigation effect, the peak of the curve has passed and the epidemic is in a stabilisation phase.

Wednesday 29 April 2020

2,652 new positive cases of coronavirus have been reported today in Catalonia today. This brings the total number of infections to 54,324 - a 5.1% increase on yesterday.

62 more people have died in hospital from coronavirus in the last hours, bringing the hospital death toll to 5,897. This is a daily percentage increase of 1.1%. The data for hospital deaths include positively diagnosed and suspected cases. Data for coronavirus deaths in Catalonia are now based on funeral services, rather than hospital reporting, leading to loss of continuity in the records. The funeral services total is 10,211 deceased.

The numbers of deaths and infected by coronavirus in Spain have experienced a rebound this morning. There are 230,771 people reported infected in the whole of Spain, 2,144 more than on Tuesday, a daily percentage increase of 0.9%.

There are 325 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, bringing the total deaths to 24,275 - a daily percentage increase of 1.4%. The official total deaths for yesterday was 23,822 - 453 fewer deaths than the total reported today, and a small discrepancy in the continuity of the data.

The strict confinement of the population for 46 days is having the desired mitigation effect, the peak of the curve has passed and the epidemic is in a stabilisation phase.

Tuesday 28 April 2020

1,510 new positive cases of coronavirus have been reported today in Catalonia today. This brings the total number of infections to 51,672 - a 3.0% increase on yesterday.

66 more people have died in hospital from coronavirus in the last hours, bringing the hospital death toll to 5,835. This is a daily percentage increase of 1.1%. The data for hospital deaths include positively diagnosed and suspected cases. Data for coronavirus deaths in Catalonia are now based on funeral services, rather than hospital reporting, leading to loss of continuity in the records. The funeral services total is 10,073 deceased.

This morning, there are 228,627 people reported infected in the whole of Spain, 1,308 more than on Monday, a daily percentage increase of 0.6%.

The total of deaths rises to 23,822 - 301 more than yesterday, a daily percentage increase of 1.3%.

On this second working day of the week, the number of coronoavirus deaths and new cases have dropped for the first time since the state of alarm was declared 6 weeks ago. Numbers usually rise after under-reporting over the weekend but these are the lowest Tuesday data recorded in 24 hours, both in absolute and relative terms.

The strict confinement of the population for 45 days is having the desired mitigation effect, the peak of the curve has passed and the epidemic is in a stabilisation phase.

Monday 27 April 2020

1,074 new positive cases of coronavirus have been reported today in Catalonia today. This brings the total number of infections to 50,162 - a 2.2% increase on yesterday.

84 more people have died in hospital from coronavirus in the last hours, bringing the hospital death toll to 5,769. This is a daily percentage increase of 1.5%. The data for hospital deaths include positively diagnosed and suspected cases. Data for coronavirus deaths in Catalonia are now based on funeral services, rather than hospital reporting, leading to loss of continuity in the records. The funeral services total is 9,923 deceased.

Spain reports its second consecutive day of lowest daily rate of increase of new coronavirus cases since the epidemic began. The strict confinement of the population for 44 days is having the desired mitigation effect, the peak of the curve has passed and the epidemic is in a stabilisation phase.

This morning, there are 227,319 people reported infected in the whole of Spain, 1,831 more than on Sunday, a daily percentage increase of 0.8%.

The total of deaths rises to 23,521 - 331 more than yesterday, a daily percentage increase of 1.4%, and the second lowest daily rate of increase of coronavirus deaths.

As of Sunday 26 April, the Government only counts cases diagnosed by PCR, not positive antibody tests, leading to a loss of continuity in the records. PCR is an acronym for a process known as a polymerase chain reaction. It is the most reliable of the available tests, but has disadvantages in the complexity of the procedure and its duration. The nasopharyngeal samples taken from the patient are placed in thermocyclists in the laboratory that generate the necessary chemical reactions to determine whether there is a positive or not. These manoeuvres can only be performed by qualified personnel and can take up to four hours before obtaining results.

Sunday 26 April 2020

815 new positive cases of coronavirus have been reported today in Catalonia today. This brings the total number of infections to 49,088 - a 1.7% increase on yesterday.

72 more people have died in hospital from coronavirus in the last hours, bringing the hospital death toll to 5,685. This is a daily percentage increase of 1.3%. The data for hospital deaths include positively diagnosed and suspected cases. Data for coronavirus deaths in Catalonia are now based on funeral services, rather than hospital reporting, leading to loss of continuity in the records. The funeral services total is 9,764 deceased.

The daily rates of increase of new coronavirus infections and deaths in Spain have continued their downward trends. The strict confinement of the population for 43 days is having the desired mitigation effect, the peak of the curve has passed and the epidemic is in a stabilisation phase. This morning, there are 225,488 people reported infected in the whole of Spain, 1,729 more than on Saturday, a daily percentage increase of 0.8%. The total of deaths rises to 23,190 - 288 more than yesterday, a daily percentage increase of 1.3%. This is the third consecutive day of lowest daily percentage increase in deaths since the epidemic began.

Saturday 25 April 2020

The government has announced that physical exercise will be allowed outside the home from May 2, after 48 days of strict confinement of the population. This will be dependent on a continued decline in the rate of new infections. This is the second relaxation of the lockdown, with children under the age of 14 years allowed to exercise under specific conditions from tomorrow. They are allowed a one-hour walk per day, accompanied by an adult, with a maximum of three children who live in the same house, within a kilometre radius of their home.

The President of the Generalitat, Quim Torra, has recommended that parents take their children on two scheduled walks according to age, to avoid crowds. Families with children up to 6 years of age go out from 11.00 to 13.00 and children from 6 to 14 leave from 16.00 to 18.00.

This evening, Catalonia has reported the lowest daily percentage rates of increase in new hospital positive cases and deaths since the start of the epidemic.

640 new positive cases of coronavirus have been reported today in Catalonia today. This brings the total number of infections to 48,273 - a 1.3% increase on yesterday.

55 more people have died in hospital from coronavirus in the last hours, bringing the hospital death toll to 5,613. This is a daily percentage increase of 1.0%. The data for hospital deaths include positively diagnosed and suspected cases. Data for coronavirus deaths in Catalonia are now based on funeral services, rather than hospital reporting, leading to loss of continuity in the records. The funeral services total is 9,646 deceased.

The daily rates of increase of new coronavirus infections and deaths in Spain have continued their downward trends. The strict confinement of the population for 42 days is having the desired mitigation effect, the peak of the curve has passed and the epidemic is in a stabilisation phase. This morning, there are 223,759 people reported infected in the whole of Spain, 3,995 more than on Friday, a daily percentage increase of 1.8%. The total of deaths rises to 22,902 - 378 more than yesterday, a daily percentage increase of 1.7%. This is the second consecutive day of lowest daily percentage increase in deaths since the epidemic began.

Spain remains on lockdown, all borders sealed, strict regulations on movement of the population and closure of all but essential shops and services.

Spain has extended its state of alarm until May 9, and it is certain that there will be a further extension which will last until the end of May.

The French President Emanuel Macron has warned that the external borders of the Schengen Area and the Schengen Associated States may remain shut until September, as a measure against another wave of Coronavirus infections in the territory that may be caused by an outer factor, travellers coming from the US and other countries. Last week, the European Commission invited the European states part of the Schengen Area, and the associated states to prolong the external border closure for non-essential travel to EU for another month, until May 15.

The effects of the Coronavirus in Spain: by age

Friday 24 April 2020

1,004 new cases have been reported today in Catalonia today. This brings the total number of infections to 47,633 - a 2.2% increase on yesterday.

162 more people have died in hospital from coronavirus in the last hours, bringing the hospital death toll to 5,558. This is a daily percentage increase of 3.0%. The data for hospital deaths include positively diagnosed and suspected cases. Data for coronavirus deaths in Catalonia are now based on funeral services, rather than hospital reporting, leading to loss of continuity in the records. The funeral services total is 9,492 deceased.

The daily rates of increase of new coronavirus infections and deaths in Spain have continued their downward trends, although there has been an uptick in new infections. The strict confinement of the population for 41 days is having the desired mitigation effect, the peak of the curve has passed and the epidemic is in a stabilisation phase. This morning, there are 219,764 people reported infected in the whole of Spain, 6,740 more than on Thursday, a daily percentage increase of 3.2%. The total of deaths rises to 22,524 - 367 more than yesterday, a daily percentage increase of 1.7%. This is the lowest daily percentage increase in deaths since the epidemic began.

Thursday 23 April 2020

754 new cases have been reported today in Catalonia today. This brings the total number of infections to 46,629 - a 1.6% increase on yesterday.

111 more people have died in hospital from coronavirus in the last hours, bringing the hospital death toll to 5,396. This is a daily percentage increase of 2.1%. The data for hospital deaths include positively diagnosed and suspected cases. Data for coronavirus deaths in Catalonia are now based on funeral services, rather than hospital reporting, leading to loss of continuity in the records. The funeral services total is 9,186 deceased.

The daily rates of increase of new coronavirus infections and deaths in Spain have continued their downward trends. The strict confinement of the population for 40 days is having the desired mitigation effect, the peak of the curve has passed and the epidemic is in a stabilisation phase. This morning, there are 213,024 people reported infected in the whole of Spain, 4,635 more than on Wednesday, a daily percentage increase of 2.2%. The total of deaths rises to 22,157 - 440 more than yesterday, a daily percentage increase of 2.0%.

Wednesday 22 April 2020

1,082 new cases have been reported today in Catalonia today. This brings the total number of infections to 45,875 - a 2.4% increase on yesterday.

205 more people have died in hospital from coronavirus in the last hours, bringing the hospital death toll to 5,285. This is a daily percentage increase of 4.0%. The data for hospital deaths include positively diagnosed and suspected cases. Data for coronavirus deaths in Catalonia are now based on funeral services, rather than hospital reporting, leading to loss of continuity in the records. The funeral services total is 9,050 deceased.

The daily rates of increase of new coronavirus infections and deaths in Spain have continued their downward trends. The strict confinement of the population for 39 days is having the desired mitigation effect, the peak of the curve has passed and the epidemic is in the slowdown phase. This morning, there are 208,389 people reported infected in the whole of Spain, 4,211 more than on Tuesday, a daily percentage increase of 2.1%. The total of deaths rises to 21,717 - 435 more than yesterday, a daily percentage increase of 2.1%.

Tuesday 21 April 2020

1,098 new cases have been reported today in Catalonia today. This brings the total number of infections to 44,793 - a 2.5% increase on yesterday.

176 more people have died in hospital from coronavirus in the last hours, bringing the hospital death toll to 5,080. This is a daily percentage increase of 3.6%. The data for hospital deaths include positively diagnosed and suspected cases. Data for coronavirus deaths in Catalonia are now based on funeral services, rather than hospital reporting, leading to loss of continuity in the records. The funeral services data include non-hospital deaths and they report 404 coronavirus deaths in Catalonia today, bringing the total number to 8,845 deceased.

The daily rates of increase of new coronavirus infections and deaths in Spain have continued their downward trends. The strict confinement of the population for 38 days is having the desired mitigation effect, the peak of the curve has passed and the epidemic is in the slowdown phase. This morning, there are 204,178 people reported infected in the whole of Spain, 3,968 more than on Monday, a daily percentage increase of 2.0%. The total of deaths rises to 21,282 - 430 more than yesterday, a daily percentage increase of 2.1%.

Monday 20 April 2020

1,085 new cases have been reported today in Catalonia today. This brings the total number of infections to 43,695 - a 2.5% increase on yesterday.

168 more people have died from coronavirus in the last hours, bringing the hospital death toll to 4,904. This is a daily percentage increase of 3.7%. The data for hospital deaths include positively diagnosed and suspected cases. Data for deaths in Catalonia are now based on funeral services, rather than hospital reporting, leading to loss of continuity in the records. A total of 8,441 people have died from coronavirus in Catalonia according to the funeral services.

The daily rates of increase of new coronavirus infections and deaths in Spain have continued their downward trends, with the lowest rate of increase of deaths since the epidemic began. The strict confinement of the population for 37 days is having the desired mitigation effect, the peak of the curve has passed and the epidemic is in the slowdown phase. This morning, there are 200,210 people reported infected in the whole of Spain, 4,266 more than on Sunday, a daily percentage increase of 2.2%. The total of deaths rises to 20,852 - 399 more than yesterday, a daily percentage increase of 1.95%.

Sunday 19 April 2020

618 new cases have been reported today in Catalonia today. This brings the total number of infections to 42,610, a 1.5% increase on yesterday.

206 more people have died from coronavirus in the last hours, bringing the hospital death toll to 4,515. This is a daily percentage increase of 4.8%. The data for hospital deaths include positively diagnosed and suspected cases. Data for deaths in Catalonia are now based on funeral services, rather than hospital reporting, leading to loss of continuity in the records. A total of 8,273 people have died from coronavirus in Catalonia according to the funeral services.

The daily rates of increase of new coronavirus infections and deaths in Spain have continued their downward trends, with the lowest rate of increase of deaths since the epidemic began. The strict confinement of the population for 36 days is having the desired mitigation effect, the peak of the curve has passed and the epidemic is in the slowdown phase. This morning, there are 195,944 people reported infected in the whole of Spain, 4,218 more than on Saturday, a daily percentage increase of 2.2%. The total of deaths rises to 20,453, 410 more than yesterday, a daily percentage increase of 2.0%.

Saturday 18 April 2020

1,004 new cases have been reported today in Catalonia today. This brings the total number of infections to 41,992, a 2.4% increase on yesterday.

186 more people have died from coronavirus in the last hours, bringing the hospital death toll to 4,309. This is a daily percentage increase of 4.5%. The data for hospital deaths include positively diagnosed and suspected cases. Data for deaths in Catalonia are now based on funeral services, rather than hospital reporting, leading to loss of continuity in the records. A total of 8,067 people have died from coronavirus in Catalonia according to the funeral services.

The daily rates of increase of new coronavirus infections and deaths in Spain have continued their downward trends. The strict confinement of the population for 35 days is having the desired mitigation effect, the peak of the curve has passed and the epidemic is in the slowdown phase. This morning, there are 191,726 people reported infected in the whole of Spain, 3,658 more than on Friday, an increase of 1.9%. The total of deaths rises to 20,043, 565 more than yesterday, an increase of 2.9%.

The rate of growth of new coronavirus infections was 47.3% on March 14, the day the lockdown was put in place and has gone as high as 200% during the crisis. Reducing the rate of infection is key to beating the virus, because each day of increases compounds on the number of cases the day before. That means a 40% increase in cases early on in the outbreak may only equal a few hundred more people getting sick, but the same percentage increase later on can correspond to tens of thousands of people getting sick in one go. A rapid increase would lead to the healthcare system becoming overwhelmed, which in turn would increase the rate at which people die as key equipment such as ventilators runs out. In addition, there would be many collateral deaths due to other illnesses that cannot be dealt with in time.

The numbers reported represent only the more serious infection cases as people with mild symptoms are requested to self-isolate at home, without the need to call health assistance or be tested. A study published on 16 March in Science Magazine[1], has found that until Wuhan's forced isolation, 86% of all infections were not being detected, and each undetected person spread the disease to 2.3 other people on average.

Friday 17 April 2020

Catalonia is in day 34 of the strict confinement of its population. 1,252 new cases have been reported today. This brings the total number of infections to 40,988, a 3.2% increase on yesterday.

67 more people have died in hospital in the last hours, bringing the hospital death toll to 4,123. This is a daily percentage increase of 1.7%, the lowest since the epidemic began. The data for hospital deaths include positively diagnosed and suspected cases. 238 people have died in nursing homes, health centres or at home, bringing the total number of deaths from coronavirus in Catalonia to 7,881.

The numbers of new coronavirus infections and deaths have risen slightly in Spain today, but the rates of increase have continued their downward trends. The strict confinement of the population for 34 days is having the desired mitigation effect, the peak of the curve has passed and the epidemic is in the slowdown phase. This morning, there are 188,068 people reported infected in the whole of Spain, 5,252 more than on Thursday, an increase of 2.9%. The total of deaths rises to 19,478, 585 more than yesterday, an increase of 3.1%. The data for deaths does not match yesterday's reporting as Catalonia made changes that interrupt the continuity of results.

The Government has ordered the autonomous communities to base their total number of coronavirus deaths on clinical diagnosis or positive antibody tests. The order was published after the controversy created by the count carried out in Catalonia, which incorporated data from the funeral homes in the region.

Thursday 16 April 2020

Catalonia is in day 33 of the strict confinement of its population and has reported a very steep fall in new coronavirus infections. 361 new cases have been reported today, a decrease on the 2,870 reported yesterday, and the lowest daily increase since March 15. This brings the total number of infections to 39,736, a 0.9% increase on yesterday.

201 more people have died in hospital in the last hours, bringing the hospital death toll to 4,056. This is a daily percentage increase of 5.2%. This increase in hospital deaths should be treated with caution as for the first time the data include both positively diagnosed and suspected cases.

The reported death toll including funeral services data rises to 7,576. The Catalan government has broken ranks with the other Spanish government and other autonomous communities and from today is including data provided by the Catalan funeral homes in its total deaths. The funeral homes data include those that have died in nursing homes, social health centres and private homes, without being tested positive for Covid-19.

The number of new coronavirus infections and deaths have risen slightly in Spain today, but the rates of increase have continued their downward trends. The strict confinement of the population for 33 days is having the desired mitigation effect, the peak of the curve has passed and the epidemic is in the slowdown phase. This morning, there are 182,816 people reported infected in the whole of Spain, 5,183 more than on Wednesday, an increase of 2.9%. The total of deceased rises to 19,130, 551 more than yesterday, an increase of 3.0%.

The official data for the number of coronavirus deaths only include those who died in hospital after previously testing positive for Covid-19 or with a clinical diagnosis of the disease.

Fernando Belda, spokesperson for the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet), has found the "first signs of correlation" between temperature and the spread of the disease in Spain. "We are seeing a pattern: the lower the temperature, the greater the damage," he explains. However, the historical background and what is happening in other countries suggest that the summer will not be enough to stop the pandemic. "You have to be very cautious, because the humidity and temperature conditions vary greatly from one geographical area to another and there are many other factors that influence the transmission and spread of the new virus," warns epidemiologist Cristina Linares, co-author of the investigations. "But there is a statistical correlation."

Wednesday 15 April 2020

Catalonia is in day 32 of the strict confinement of its population but has a second consecutive day of steep upturn in new coronavirus infections. The upturns are related to the many more people without symptoms who have been tested using the rapid test for antibodies distributed from April 5. These allow the detection of people with mild symptoms or without symptoms, who until now, due to the lack of tests, have not been identified. 2,870 new cases have been reported, an increase on the 1,562 reported yesterday, and the highest daily increase since the epidemic began. This brings the total number of infections to 39,375, a 7.9% increase on yesterday.

99 more people have died in hospital in the last hours, bringing the death toll to 3,855. This is a daily percentage increase of 2.6%.

New calculations from the Department of Health include data provided by Catalan funeral services. This almost doubles the death toll: 7,097 deceased. This new data shows 1,810 have died in nursing homes, 62 in social health centres and 456 in private homes. The remaining cases correspond to deaths in hospitals or those that are unclassifiable due to lack of information.

There are a total of 55,457 possible cases of infection, with people who present symptoms to a health professional, but who have not been tested.

The number of detected infections have risen sharply in Spain today, but deaths continue to fall. The rates of increase of new coronavirus infections and deaths have continued their downward trends. The 32 days of strict confinement of the population are having the desired mitigation effect, the peak of the curve has passed and the epidemic is in the slowdown phase. This morning, there are 177,633 people reported infected in the whole of Spain, 5,092 more than on Tuesday, an increase of 3.0%. The total of deceased rises to 18,579, 523 more than yesterday, an increase of 2.9%.

Tuesday 14 April 2020

The rates of growth of new coronavirus infections and deaths in Catalonia have maintained their downward trends this evening, despite an upturn in new infections, related to delayed reporting over Easter. 1,308 new coronavirus infections have been reported, an increase on the 471 reported yesterday. This brings the total number of infections to 36,505, a 3.7% increase on yesterday. In Catalonia, 90 more people have died in hospital in the last hours, bringing the death toll to 3,756. This is a daily percentage increase of 2.5%.

The rates of increase of new coronavirus infections and deaths in Spain have continued their downward trends today. The thirtyone days of strict confinement of the population are having the desired mitigation effect, the peak of the curve has passed and the epidemic is in the slowdown phase. This morning, there are 172,541 people reported infected in the whole of Spain, 3,045 more than on Monday, an increase of 1.8%. This is the third consecutive day with the lowest daily rate of increase in new coronavirus infections since the start of the epidemic. The total of deceased rises to 18,056, 567 more than yesterday, an increase of 3.2%.

Spain is beginning to ease strict lockdown measures that have brought its economy to a standstill. People in manufacturing, construction and some services are allowed to return to work, but must stick to strict social distancing guidelines. The rest of the population must still remain at home. Up to 10 million face masks are being distributed to people using public transport and out shopping.

Monday 13 April 2020

The rates of growth of new coronavirus infections and deaths in Catalonia have maintained their downward trends this evening. 471 new coronavirus infections have been reported, a decrease on the 699 reported yesterday. This brings the total number of infections to 35,197, a 1.4% increase on yesterday, and the lowest daily percentage increase so far. In Catalonia, 128 more people have died in hospital in the last hours, bringing the death toll to 3,666. This is a daily percentage increase of 3.6%. These data do not include the 73 who have died in nursing homes today. The accumulated total of deaths in Catalan nursing homes rises to 1,898 with a further 3,920 residents infected.

Spain is beginning to ease strict lockdown measures that have brought its economy to a standstill. People in manufacturing, construction and some services are allowed to return to work today, but must stick to strict social distancing guidelines. The rest of the population must still remain at home.

The rates of increase of new coronavirus infections and deaths in Spain have continued their downward trends today. The thirty days of strict confinement of the population are having the desired mitigation effect, the peak of the curve has passed and the epidemic is in the slowdown phase. This morning, there are 169,496 people reported infected in the whole of Spain, 3,477 more than on Saturday, an increase of 2.1%. This is the second consecutive day with the lowest daily rate of increase in new coronavirus infections since the start of the epidemic. The total of deceased rises to 17,489, 517 more than yesterday, an increase of 3.0%. This is the lowest daily percentage increase in deaths so far.

Sunday 12 April 2020

The rates of growth of new coronavirus infections and deaths in Catalonia have maintained their downward trends this evening. 699 new coronavirus infections have been reported, a decrease on the 1,043 reported yesterday. This brings the total number of infections to 34,726, a 2.1% increase on yesterday, and the lowest daily percentage increase so far. In Catalonia, 96 more people have died in hospital in the last hours, bringing the death toll to 3,538. This is a daily percentage increase of 2.8%. These data do not include the 162 who have died in nursing homes today. The accumulated total of deaths in Catalan nursing homes rises to 1,825 with a further 3,659 residents infected.

The rates of increase of new coronavirus infections and deaths in Spain have continued their downward trends today. The twentynine days of strict confinement of the population are having the desired mitigation effect, the peak of the curve has passed and the epidemic is in the slowdown phase. This morning, there are 166,019 people reported infected in the whole of Spain, 4,167 more than on Saturday, an increase of 2.6%. This is the lowest daily rate of increase in new coronavirus infections since the start of the epidemic. The total of deceased rises to 16,972, 619 more than yesterday, an increase of 3.8%. This is the second lowest daily percentage increase in deaths so far.

Saturday 11 April 2020

The rates of growth of new coronavirus infections and deaths in Catalonia have maintained their downward trends this evening. 1,043 new coronavirus infections have been reported, a decrease on the 1,257 reported yesterday. This brings the total number of infections to 34,027, a 3.2% increase on yesterday. In Catalonia, 111 more people have died in hospital in the last hours, bringing the death toll to 3,442. This is a daily percentage increase of 3.3%. These data do not include the 96 who have died in nursing homes today. The accumulated total of deaths in Catalan nursing homes rises to 1,663 with a further 3,375 residents infected.

The rates of increase of new coronavirus infections and deaths in Spain have continued their downward trends today. The twentyeight days of strict confinement of the population are having the desired mitigation effect, the peak of the curve has passed and the epidemic is in the slowdown phase. This morning, there are 161,852 people reported infected in the whole of Spain, 4,830 more than on Friday, an increase of 3.1%. The total of deceased rises to 16,353, 510 more than yesterday, an increase of 3.2%. This is the lowest number of fatalities in one day since March 23 and the lowest daily percentage increase in deaths so far.

Friday 10 April 2020

The rates of growth of new coronavirus infections and deaths in Catalonia have upturned, but have still maintained their downward trends this evening. 1,257 new coronavirus infections have been reported, a significant increase on the 684 reported yesterday. This brings the total number of infections to 32,984, a 4.0% increase on yesterday. In Catalonia, 100 more people have died in hospital in the last hours, bringing the death toll to 3,331. This is a daily percentage increase of 3.1%. These data do not include the 160 who have died in nursing homes today.

The rates of increase of new coronavirus infections and deaths in Spain have continued their fall today. The twentyseven days of strict confinement of the population are having the desired mitigation effect, the peak of the curve has passed and the epidemic is in the slowdown phase. This morning, there are 157,022 people reported infected in the whole of Spain, 4,576 more than on Thursday, an increase of 3.0%. This is the lowest daily percentage rate of increase in new infections since the epidemic began. The total of deceased rises to 15,843, 605 more than yesterday, an increase of 4.0%. This is the lowest number of fatalities in one day since March 24 and the lowest daily percentage increase in deaths so far.

Thursday 9 April 2020

The rates of growth of new coronavirus infections and deaths in Catalonia have maintained their downward trends this evening, setting new records of decline. 684 new coronavirus infections have been reported, bringing the total number to 31,727, a 2.2% increase on yesterday. This is the lowest daily percentage increase in new cases since the start of the epidemic and the lowest number of new cases in one day since March 21. In Catalonia, 83 more people have died in the last hours, bringing the death toll to 3,231. This is a daily percentage increase of 2.6%, the smallest increase since the epidemic began and the lowest number of deaths in one day since March 22.

The rates of increase of new coronavirus infections and deaths in Spain have continued their fall today. The twentysix days of strict confinement of the population are having the desired mitigation effect, the peak of the curve has passed and the epidemic is in the slowdown phase. This morning, there are 152,446 people reported infected in the whole of Spain, 5,756 more than on Wednesday, an increase of 3.9%. This is the second lowest daily percentage rate of increase in new infections since the epidemic began. The total of deceased rises to 15,238, 683 more than yesterday, an increase of 4.7%. This is the lowest daily percentage increase in deaths so far.

Wednesday 8 April 2020

The rates of growth of new coronavirus infections and deaths in Catalonia have maintained their downward trends this evening. There has been a small rise in the number of new infections, but the daily percentage rate of growth has remained constant. 1,396 new coronavirus infections have been reported, bringing the total number to 31,043, a 4.7% increase on yesterday. In Catalonia, 107 more people have died in the last hours, bringing the death toll to 3,148. This is an daily percentage increase of 3.5% and the smallest increase since the epidemic began. Since March 15, 37% of all coronavirus deaths in Catalonia (1,178 people) have occurred in nursing homes. As of yesterday, 94% of the 3,041 people who have died from the coronavirus in Catalonia were over 60 years old and 67% were over 80 years old.

The rate of daily increase of new coronavirus infections in Spain has upturned again today (+0.3%), with deaths declining (-0.2%). The overall trend in the growth of new infections and deaths remains downwards. The twentyfive days of strict confinement of the population are having the desired mitigation effect, the peak of the curve has passed and the epidemic is in the slowdown phase. This morning, there are 146,690 people reported infected in the whole of Spain, 6,180 more than on Tuesday, an increase of 4.4%. This is the third lowest daily percentage rate of increase in new infections since the epidemic began. The total of deceased rises to 14,555, 757 more than yesterday, an increase of 5.5%. This is the second lowest daily percentage increase in deaths so far.

Salvador Illa, the Minister of Health, reports this morning that: "according to the data updated this morning, the number of infected continues to decline with an increase today of 4%. A week ago the average increase was 7%. Two weeks ago, 15%. The increase in ICU admissions is 3%. One week ago it was 6% and two weeks ago it was 16%. Those who have died has increased by 5% today. Last week it was 9%. The people discharged from hospital are 11% more than yesterday. When we talk about deceased people, I regret to say that there are no good data."

The WHO, through its deputy director general, Bruce Aylward, has described as "heroic and innovative" the work carried out by Spain and its containment measures. Besides praising the work of the health professionals, he also highlights: "the amazing response from the population. The streets in Madrid and Barcelona, which are cities with a lot of activity, are empty, the stores remain closed ... there is a strong collaboration from the population, who have understood that you have to stay home to stop the outbreak."

Tuesday 7 April 2020

The rates of growth of new coronavirus infections and deaths in Catalonia have maintained their downward trends this evening. There has been a fall in the number of new infections. 1,324 new coronavirus infections have been reported, bringing the total number to 29,647, a 4.7% increase on yesterday. In Catalonia, 133 more people have died in the last hours, bringing the death toll to 3,041. This is an increase of 4.6% from yesterday.

The rates of increase of new coronavirus infections and deaths in Spain have upturned today, after 5 days of falls. The data must be viewed with caution due to the under-reporting that occurs on weekends and most Tuesdays see a correction with accumulated data. The twentyfour days of strict confinement of the population are having the desired mitigation effect, the peak of the curve has been reached and the epidemic is in the slowdown phase. This morning, there are 140,510 people reported infected in the whole of Spain, 5,478 more than on Monday, an increase of 4.1%. The total of deceased rises to 13,798, 743 more than yesterday, an increase of 5.7%.

Monday 6 April 2020

The rates of growth of new coronavirus infections and deaths in Catalonia have reversed their downward trends this evening. There has been a steep rise in the number of new infections. 1,499 new coronavirus infections have been reported, bringing the total number to 28,323, a 5.6% increase on yesterday. In Catalonia, 148 more people have died in the last hours, bringing the death toll to 2,908. This is an increase of 5.4% from yesterday.

Between Sunday night and Monday, 205 elderly people who lived in Catalan nursing homes have died from the coronavirus, bringing the total number of deaths in nursing homes to 909 people, according to data released by the Conselleria d'Afers Socials this Monday. Deaths in nursing homes have accounted for 31.3% of the 2,908 victims so far in Catalonia. Under normal circumstances, 30 people die every day in Catalan nursing homes. Over half (56%) of the 634 Catalan nursing homes have people who have tested positive for coronavirus or who have coronavirus symptoms.

The rates of increase of new coronavirus infections and deaths in Spain have continued their fall today. The twentythree days of strict confinement of the population are having the desired mitigation effect, the peak of the curve has been reached and the epidemic is in the slowdown phase. This morning, there are 135,032 people reported infected in the whole of Spain, 4,273 more than on Sunday, an increase of 3.3%. This is the lowest daily percentage rate of increase in new infections so far, and the fifth consecutive day with the slowest rate of growth since the epidemic began. The total of deceased rises to 13,055, 673 more than yesterday, an increase of 5.4%. This is also the lowest percentage increase so far and the fifth consecutive day of lowest daily percentage increase in deaths since the epidemic began. The data must be viewed with caution due to the under-reporting that occurs on weekends.

Sunday 5 April 2020

The rates of growth of new coronavirus infections and deaths in Catalonia have maintained their downward trends this evening, and the epidemic in Catalonia is in the slowdown phase. There has been a steep fall in the number of new infections. 792 new coronavirus infections have been reported, bringing the total number to 26,824, a 3% increase on yesterday, and the lowest daily percentage increase since the start of the epidemic. In Catalonia, 123 more people have died in the last hours, bringing the death toll to 2,760. This is an increase of 4.7% from yesterday and the lowest daily percentage increase so far.

The rates of increase of new coronavirus infections and deaths in Spain have continued their fall today. The twentytwo days of strict confinement of the population are having the desired mitigation effect, the peak of the curve has been reached and the epidemic is in the slowdown phase. This morning, there are 130,759 people reported infected in the whole of Spain, 6,023 more than on Saturday, an increase of 4.8%. This is the lowest daily percentage rate of increase in new infections so far, and the fourth consecutive day with the slowest rate of growth since the epidemic began. The total of deceased rises to 12,418, 674 more than yesterday, an increase of 5.7%. This is also the lowest percentage increase so far and the fourth consecutive day of lowest daily percentage increase in deaths since the epidemic began. These data are conditioned by the tendency to under-report at weekends.

Saturday 4 April 2020

The rates of growth of new coronavirus infections and deaths in Catalonia have maintained their downward trends this evening, and the epidemic in Catalonia is in the slowdown phase. 1,298 new coronavirus infections have been reported, bringing the total number to 26,032, a 5.2% increase on yesterday, and the lowest daily percentage increase since the start of the epidemic. In Catalonia, 129 more people have died in the last hours, bringing the death toll to 2,637. This is an increase of 5.1% from yesterday and the lowest daily percentage increase so far.

The Government of Spain has extended the state of alarm for another two weeks, until April 26.

The rates of increase of new coronavirus infections and deaths in Spain have fallen significantly today. The twentyone days of strict confinement of the population are having the desired mitigation effect, the peak of the curve has been reached and the epidemic is in the slowdown phase. This morning, there are 124,736 people reported infected in the whole of Spain, 7,026 more than on Friday, an increase of 6.0%. This is the third consecutive day with the slowest rate of growth since the epidemic began. The total of deceased rises to 11,744, 809 more than yesterday, an increase of 7.4%. This is the third consecutive day of lowest daily percentage increase in deaths since the epidemic began.

The fall in the rate of increase of patients requiring hospital admission has been particularly strong. 975 people have required hospitalisation for coronavirus in the last 24 hours, less than half that of any other day so far recorded.

Spanish Government calculations at the start of the state of alarm indicated active cases of coronavirus would slow their exponential rise at this time.

Spain remains on lockdown, all borders sealed, strict regulations on movement of the population and closure of all but essential shops and services.

The Spanish Government has decided to extend the state of alarm for 15 days. With this measure, Spain will remain on lockdown throughout Easter until April 11. Spain will also restrict entry for most foreigners at air and sea ports until April 16.

Friday 3 April 2020

The rates of growth of new coronavirus infections and deaths in Catalonia have maintained their downward trends this evening, and the epidemic in Catalonia is in a slowdown phase. 1,274 new coronavirus infections have been reported, bringing the total number to 24,734, a 5.4% increase on yesterday, and the second lowest daily increase since the start of the epidemic. In Catalonia, 173 more people have died in the last hours, bringing the death toll to 2,508. This is an increase of 7.4% from yesterday and the lowest daily percentage increase so far.

The rates of increase of new coronavirus infections and deaths in Spain have continued their downward trends today. The twenty days of strict confinement of the population are having the desired mitigation effect, the peak of the curve has been reached and the epidemic has entered a slowdown phase. This morning, there are 117,710 people reported infected in the whole of Spain, 7,472 more than on Thursday, an increase of 6.8%. This is the second consecutive day with the slowest rate of growth since the epidemic began. The number of deceased rises to 10,935, 932 more than yesterday, an increase of 9.3%. This is the second consecutive day of lowest daily percentage increase in deaths since the epidemic began.

Thursday 2 April 2020

The rates of growth of new coronavirus infections and deaths in Catalonia have maintained their downward trends today. 1,656 new coronavirus infections have been reported, making 23,460 in total, a 7.6% increase on yesterday. In Catalonia, 242 more people have died in the last hours, bringing the death toll to 2,335. This is an increase of 11.6% from yesterday.

The rate of growth of new coronavirus infections in Spain has continued its downward trend today. The nineteen days of strict confinement of the population are having the desired mitigation effect and the epidemic has entered a stabilisation phase. This morning, there are 110,238 people reported infected in the whole of Spain, 8,102 more than on Wednesday, an increase of 7.9%. This is the slowest rate of growth since the epidemic began. The number of deceased rises to 10,003, 950 more than yesterday, an increase of 10.5%. This is the lowest daily percentage increase in deaths since the epidemic began.

Wednesday 1 April 2020

The rates of growth of new coronavirus infections and deaths in Catalonia have maintained their downward trends, despite upticks today. 1,813 new coronavirus infections have been reported, making 21,804 in total, a 9.1% increase on yesterday. In Catalonia, 244 more people have died in the last hours, bringing the death toll to 2,093. This is an increase of 13.2% from yesterday.

The rate of growth of new coronavirus infections in Spain has continued its downward trend today. The eighteen days of strict confinement of the population are having the desired mitigation effect and the epidemic has entered a stabilisation phase. This morning, there are 102,136 people reported infected in the whole of Spain, 7,719 more than on Tuesday, an increase of 8.2%. The number of deceased rises to 9,053, 864 more than yesterday, an increase of 10.55%. This is the lowest daily percentage increase in deaths since the epidemic began. Fernando Simón, the head of Spain's centre for health emergencies, believes the country has already passed the peak of the curve. More than 22,500 people have recovered and more than 51,000 have required hospitalisation. Almost 5,900 have required intensive care, an increase of 5% compared to Tuesday. The transmission curve is not at the same point in all autonomous communities. Data for Catalonia (see below) indicates the peak was probably reached on March 23, with the rate of growth of new infections declining each day until upticks on March 29-30 related to delayed reporting.



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UK FCO Advice Sunday, December 8th, 2024: FCO advises against all non-essential travel to Spain


Foot Notes


1 Chinese and American researchers have used the infection data from the first few weeks to model the temporal and spatial evolution of the coronavirus first in Wuhan, the start of the pandemic, and later in 375 other Chinese cities. To see how the virus could progress, they overlapped this information with the movement patterns of hundreds of millions of Chinese recorded by the telecommunications company Tencent in Chunyun 2018. This period of the Chinese lunar calendar begins a few days before the Chinese New Year. and it lasts for several weeks afterwards. This year, the New Year fell precisely on January 23. Thus they were able to estimate how the coronavirus moved. The work, published in the Science journal, has found that until Wuhan's forced isolation, 86% of all infections were not being detected. That is, only 14% of the infected were under control. The rest, whether asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, continued to lead their normal lives. Thus, for many days there were two very different transmission rates. That January 23, there were only 801 documented cases throughout China, while the total number of new COVID-19 infections during 10-23 January in Wuhan city is estimated at 13,118 (documented and undocumented combined).
After Wuhan's closure measures, later extended to much of China, the dynamics of the epidemic changed in the city of origin. Between January 24 and February 8, the study authors estimate that the percentage of invisible infected people drops to 35%. They also come to light faster. For the first time, the basic reproduction number (R0) of the epidemic, understood as new infections for each infected person while sick, fell to 0.99. It was the first step in controlling the epidemic, although only in Wuhan.
Source: Science Magazine
https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2020/03/13/science.abb3221
2 The National Centre for Epidemiology estimate that the number of those affected in the 2017-2018 influenza season was 752,000 people, with nearly 15,000 related deaths. Hospitalisation was necessary in 52,000 of the cases, 14,000 of them had serious complications and 3,000 required admission to the ICU.
Source: Epidemiology and Public Health Networking Biomedical Research Centre (CIBER)
https://www.ciberisciii.es/noticias/estiman-en-800000-personas-los-afectados-por-la-gripe-del-pasado-ano
3 According to the National Centre for Epidemiology, some 6,300 people died in Spain due to influenza last season, 2018-2019. The Influenza Surveillance System estimated that 490,000 people affected by mild cases of this pathology attended the Primary Care centres, in addition to some 35,300 confirmed hospitalised patients, of which 2,500 entered the ICU. Among the deaths registered in the country, 83% were older than 64 years and 13% belonged to the group of 45-64 years.
Source: DiarodeAvisos https://diariodeavisos.elespanol.com/2019/10/6-300-personas-fallecieron-por-la-gripe-la-pasada-temporada/
4 The first of the deaths from coronavirus recorded in Spain occurred on February 13, although the patient, a 69-year-old man, had travelled to Nepal, making it difficult to track the infection. The case was discovered by an autopsy.
5 Since 2010, both the governments of Spain and those of its different autonomies (health care is a transferred competence) have approved a series of health care cuts that weakened the system. In 2020, Spain budgeted 5.9% of its GDP for public health spending. This percentage was 6.77% in 2009. Catalonia is one of the Spanish autonomous regions that has cut the most in recent years, dedicating just 3.9% of its GDP to public health this year. The European average is 7.5%
Source: El Periodico: https://www.elperiodico.com/es/sanidad/20200318/recortes-7895906
A December 2019 FACUA report reveals that Catalonia is the Spanish region with the longest wait for a Public Health family doctor appointment. 74% of respondents expect a wait of at least one week.
Source: El Periodico: https://www.elperiodico.com/es/sociedad/20191215/catalunya-comunidad-mayor-tiempo-espera-medico-cabecera-7772135