Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

HEALTH

Spain’s virus cases soar by over 12,000 as deaths remain low

The number of coronavirus cases in Spain has leapt by more than 12,000, health ministry figures showed Friday, the biggest jump in a 24 hour period since the pandemic began.

Published: 12 September 2020 09:34 CEST
Spain's virus cases soar by over 12,000 as deaths remain low
Government officials enforce a lockdown in Mallorca. Photo: AFP

The number of coronavirus cases in Spain has leapt by more than 12,000, health ministry figures showed Friday, the biggest jump in a 24 hour period since the pandemic began.

Spain this week became the first European Union country to surpass half a million Covid-19 infections, and it currently has a total of 566,326 confirmed cases according to the ministry — 12,183 more than a day before.

The new cases were not all detected in the past 24 hours however, since Spanish regions that are responsible for health care sometimes take several days to send figures to the central government.

During the past two weeks Spain has reported between 7,000 and 8,000 new cases of the virus per day. On Thursday the country reported more than 10,000 new infections.

 

While the number of confirmed cases is sharply higher, the mortality rate is far below that recorded at the height of health crisis in late March and April, when nearly 900 deaths a day were reported.

In the last seven days the country recorded 241 virus deaths.

The disease has killed nearly 30,000 people in Spain, one of the highest tolls in the world.

Spain has also seen a surge in infections since a strict three-month national lockdown was lifted at the end of June, with Madrid facing the brunt of this so-called second wave of infections.

To curb infections, authorities have imposed fresh restrictions, ordering the closure of nightclubs and cocktail bars last month and making the use of face masks mandatory in public.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

HEALTH

Are Danes cutting back on cigarettes and alcohol?

Danish stores sold a significantly lower quantity of alcohol and cigarettes over the counter last year, new data from Statistics Denmark show.

Published: 14 June 2024 07:42 CEST
Are Danes cutting back on cigarettes and alcohol?

Some 3,852 cigarettes were sold year, which amounts to 804 per person over the age of 18. But that compares to a figures of 854 per person on 2022.

Cigarette sales in Denmark have been declining since 2018.

Sales of sprits, beer and wine fell by 7.8 percent, 5.3 percent and 0.9 percent respectively.

Danish business sold the equivalent of 44.4 million litres of pure alcohol, which works out at 11.9 units per week on average for each person over the age of 18.

Although that is a lower value than in 2022, it still exceeds the amount recommended by the Danish Health Authority (Sundhedsstyrelsen).

The Health Authority recommends that adults over 18 drink no more than 10 units per week and no more than four in a single day.

READ ALSO: Should Denmark raise the minimum age for buying alcohol?

“The numbers are still too high and it’s an average that could have a skewed distribution,” University of Southern Denmark professor, Janne Tholstrup, said in relation to the alcohol sales figures. Tholstrup has published research on Denmark’s alcohol culture.

That is in spite of a 30-year-trend of falling alcohol consumption, according to the professor.

“The majority of Danes stay under the recommended 10 unite per week. That means there is a large group with a persistently excessive consumption of alcohol,” she said.

The Statistics Denmark figures also show that sales of loose tobacco – such as the type used in roll-up cigarettes and pipes – also fell last year. Some 58 tonnes less were sold compared to 2022.

SHOW COMMENTS