Spain now has more COVID-19 cases than Italy as total hits more than 124,000

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Becomes 2nd country with most number of virus cases after US

General view taken on April 03, 2020 of the temporary hospital for COVID-19 patients located at the Ifema convention and exhibition centre in Madrid. – More than 900 people died in Spain over the past 24 hours for the second day running, government figures showed on Friday, although the rate of new infections and deaths continued to slow. (Photo by PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU / AFP)

(Eagle News) – Spain has overtaken Italy in terms of number of coronavirus cases as its total reached 124,736 – which is about 5,000 more than Italy’s number of 119,827.

Based on the latest data from the Johns Hopkins University, Italy still had the most deaths at 14,681 while Spain had a toll of 11,744.

Spain is now the second country with the most number of cases, after the United States.

US cases continued to rise as the virus took its toll on the world’s superpower.  Total US coronavirus cases reached 278,537 with 7,163 deaths and 9,920 recoveries.  In the US, New York had the most cases at more than 113,000.

In Spain, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez decided to extend its lockdown until April 25 because of the rise in cases.

This handout pictured provided by the Moncloa Palace shows Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez attending an extraordinary cabinet meeting held at the Moncloa Palace in Madrid March 29, 2020. – Spain broke another national record of daily coronavirus deaths as more than 40 percent of the world’s population was asked to stay at home to halt the deadly march of a disease that has claimed some 32,000 lives. (Photo by Jose Maria Cuadrado Jimenez / LA MONCLOA / AFP)

Sanchez announced the lockdown extension on Saturday to curb the spread of the COVID-19 cases.

“The cabinet on Tuesday will again ask for authorization from parliament to extend for a second time the state of alert until Saturday April 25 at midnight,’ he said in a televised speech.

“With the utmost caution, we believe that this is the time that our health system needs to recover,” he said.

Hospitals, in particular the intensive care units, have been overwhelmed by an influx of coronavirus patients.

However, Spain on Saturday recorded a second successive daily fall in coronavirus-related deaths with 809 fatalities.

The total number of fatalities in the country stands at 11,744, second only to Italy.

The number of new Spanish cases also slowed to 7,026, taking the total to 124,736.

A nationwide 15-day state of emergency was first announced on March 14 barring people from leaving home except for essential outings such as buying food or seeking medical care.

“We know that these three weeks of isolation are bearing fruit,” Sanchez said.

The confinement has allowed “a containment of the avalanche on the hospitals, the care of the sick and saved lives.”

(with a report of Agence France Presse)