ARCHIVED - 9,191 cases of Covid-19 confirmed in Spain by Monday lunchtime

Almost half of the cases and two thirds of the fatalities have so far been in Madrid

The latest official figures produced by the Spanish government show that the number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 throughout the country has risen by almost 1,500 over the last 24 hours to 9,191, with over half of the cases (4,165) in the Region of Madrid.

At the same time, the latest data presented at lunchtime on Monday include an increase in the number of fatalities related to the virus to 309, while 540 patients have made full recoveries and 432 are currently in intensive care – between 60 and 70 per cent of them in Madrid.

In the Region of Murcia the number of infections confirmed has risen to 98, with 25 patients in hospital, 3 of them in intensive care. In Murcia the first case was reported later than in any other region of Spain, and only now is the first complete recovery confirmed.

The number of cases in Spain has now overtaken the total reported in Korea and is the fourth highest worldwide, only behind China, Italy and Iran.

It is hoped that the strict confinement of members of the public to their homes throughout Spain will slow the spread of the virus, but it is not known when the effects will become clear; according to Fernando Simón, who presented the latest data, it could be within three days or it could take far longer. In the past Sr Simón has indicated that it would be reasonable to expect a delay of some 10 days, although others believe it may take even longer.

The latest data also suggest that the fatality rate among those infected is around 3 per cent, similar to those reported elsewhere around the world, although with so many mild cases likely to be unreported in reality the feeling is that it is close to 1 per cent, while approximately 20 per cent of patients are likely to require hospital treatment.

Read; Spain is about one week behind Italy in its Coronavirus progression

The latest available data for the number of Covid-19 cases by region is as follows:

Andalucía: 554 (7 fatalities)

Aragón: 174 (11 fatalities)

Asturias: 177 (1 fatality)

Balearic Islands: 73 (1 fatality)

Canary Islands: 119 (1 fatality)

Cantabria: 58 (0 fatalities)

Castilla-La Mancha: 567 (17 fatalities)

Castilla y León: 334 (9 fatalities)

Cataluña: 903 (12 fatalities) - among the patients is Quim Torra, the president of the regional government

Ceuta: 1

Comunidad Valenciana 409 (5 fatalities)

Extremadura: 111 (2 fatalities)

Galicia: 245 (2 fatalities)

Madrid: 4,165 (213 fatalities)

Melilla 8 (0 fatalities)

Murcia 98 (0 fatalities)

Navarra: 274 (1 fatality)

Basque Country: 630 (23 fatalities)

La Rioja: 312 (4 fatalities)

In this context the Military Emergencies Unit (UME) have now sent groups to help enforce the confinement order to various locations in the provinces of Madrid (239 members), Guadalajara (35), Sevilla (110), Málaga (110), Gran Canaria (38), Tenerife (38), Valencia (110), La Rioja (70), Huesca (33), Teruel (73), León (43), Valladolid (103) and Burgos (98).

Follow Murcia Today on Facebook to keep up to date with all the latest updates locally for the Region of Murcia and the main information for the rest of Spain: https://www.facebook.com/MurciaToday/. Please note, Facebook is limiting the number of posts we are able to make in local groups, and the sheer volume of incoming information is overwhelming, so all updates and cancellations of events etc in the Murcia region will be posted on this main page and may not be shared into many local groups.

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What to do if you are in the Region of Murcia and believe you may have contracted the virus

The regional government has set up a special helpline to supply information to members of the public (900 121212), and also urges people to call the 112 emergency services line if they suspect that they may have contracted the virus rather than going straight to hospital or to a medical centre. Medical staff will be sent to your home to test for the virus.

The Region’s public hospitals have limited the number of visitors to just one per patient.

Sensible precautions

The advice being issued to members of the public by medical authorities all over the world coincides on the following points:

- Wash hands frequently with either soap and water or a sanitiser gel

- Catch coughs and sneezes with disposable tissues – and throw the tissues away immediately after use before immediately washing your hands!

- If you don’t have a tissue, use your sleeve – and wash the item of clothing used at the next opportunity

- AVOID touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands

- AVOID close contact with people who are unwell

- Don´t panic!