Spain has over 200,000 confirmed coronavirus cases as of April 20, but the spread of COVID-19 is slowing, said government officials, as the Spanish Supreme Court ordered more adequate protective equipment for medical workers.
With 200,210 infections, Spain has the second-highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the world, second only to the United States.
The cumulative COVID-19 death toll in Spain is 20,852, with 399 fatalities in the past 24 hours.
As Spain has ramped up its COVID-19 testing, the country has seen a decrease in the number of new cases.
According to Health Chief Fernando Simon, the decrease in cases suggests that the overall prevalence of the virus among the population is lower than expected.
“Fortunately occurrence is falling a lot, even more than we had thought,” Simon said during a news conference today.
Marisa Arguello de Paula, an ambulance worker in the Northern Basque region, said her patients have appeared more relaxed as the situation has stabilized, according to Reuters.
“You tell them things are going better, that hospitals aren’t so overloaded, and even though they’re on their own, they come more quietly,” Paula said.
Despite the decrease in daily confirmed cases, the Spanish Supreme Court asked the Health Ministry to supply more protective equipment for medical workers, who currently account for 15.5% of Spain’s total confirmed COVID-19 cases.
Medical workers have complained that they lack access to masks, gloves, and surgical scrubs, putting them at risk of contracting the virus from patients.
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