Spain’s coronavirus death toll rises to over 20,000

Only the US and Italy have recorded more deaths from Covid-19 than Spain.The nation’s official death toll currently stands at 20,043, a rise of 565 from the number recorded Friday. The percentage increase of 2.9% is in line with the daily results of the past week.However, Spanish authorities have said they are bringing in a new system for reporting cases and are also increasing testing, which may mean that the data fluctuates.The region of Catalonia recently declared that its number of cases and deaths was higher than previously thought, after adopting a new formula to assess the impact of Covid-19. Earlier this week, the Spanish government decided to ease some of the restrictions after a month of national lockdown. Those unable to work from home, including people in the construction and manufacturing industries, were allowed to return to their jobs. It is thought that around 300,000 nonessential workers returned to work in the Madrid region on Monday, a spokesperson for Madrid’s regional government told CNN. Shops, bars, restaurants and other nonessential businesses are still shut, with the country’s state of emergency expected to last until at least April 26. Last week, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez stressed that the nation’s return to normal activity will be “progressive” and will occur in phases. “The climb has been difficult, the descent will also be,” Sanchez told parliament. Some opposition politicians criticized the government’s decision to ease restrictions, with Quim Torra, president of Catalonia, calling it “irresponsible and reckless.”He made the comments in a video statement posted to his verified Twitter account. Jesus Vaquero, one the country’s most prominent doctors, was among those who have died from the virus in Spain in recent days.Vaquero, a leading specialist in back surgery, was working as head of neurosurgery at the Puerta del Hierro Hospital in Madrid. According to Johns Hopkins University, there have been more than 2.25 million cases of Covid-19 globally and at least 154,000 deaths caused as a result of it.