Spain Records 17-day Low in Daily Coronavirus Deaths: 605 Dead

By Staff, Agencies

Spain recorded its lowest daily death toll from coronavirus in 17 days, with 605 people dying, the government said Friday.

The update raised the overall number of fatalities to 15,843 in Spain, which has suffered one of the worst outbreaks of COVID-19 in the world, and where the total number of cases now stands at 157,022.

Despite signs of progress in several countries, the pandemic continues to take its toll on economies. 

In neighboring Italy, an order signed on Tuesday by several Italian ministers established that, for the duration of the national health emergency sparked by coronavirus, domestic ports could no longer be considered a "place of safety".

Even though international rescue vessels are kept offshore by this new measure, small ships setting sail from Libya and Tunisia have continued to arrive on the Italian coastline.

In the United Kingdom, the death toll rose by 881 in 24 hours, officials said on Thursday, as Prime Minister Boris Johnson was moved out of intensive care but remained in hospital.

In the United States, the death toll has surpassed 16,600, with 1,783 new deaths in 24 hours, according to a tally by the Johns Hopkins University.

However, the number of newly hospitalized patients in the hardest-hit state of New York has dropped to a one percent increase, offering a glimmer of hope as the global death toll inches closer to 100,000 amid 1.6 million cases. More than 355,000 people have recovered from the disease worldwide.