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HEALTH

Spain counts 17 new coronavirus deaths in 24 hours

Spain on Friday registered 17 virus deaths within 24 hours, its highest daily COVID-19 toll since June 19.

Published: 4 July 2020 11:05 CEST
Spain counts 17 new coronavirus deaths in 24 hours
A coronavirus patient in hospital in Madrid. Photo: PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU / AFP

The update came as many Spaniards were gearing up to go on holiday and as the country preparing to reopen its frontiers on Saturday to travellers from 12 other countries outside the European Union.

Spain had already opened its borders to EU nations on June 21 as well as residents of the passport-free Schengen zone.

The health ministry said it had reinforced its presence at Spain's airports to check incoming travellers, with an extra 650 staff to add to the 600 already in place.

On Thursday, the health ministry said five people had died overnight, giving a weekly total of 24 deaths.

Also on Thursday, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Spain must “learn to live with the virus” and carry on as normal, “without lowering our guard”.

Spain has been badly hit by the epidemic, suffering 28,385 deaths, Europe's fourth-highest toll after the United Kingdom, Italy and France. It has also diagnosed 250,545 cases within its population of 47 million, ranking third within Europe after Russia and the UK.

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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.

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