Spain to declare state of mourning for over 25,800 Spaniards killed by virus

MADRID — Spanish Prime Minster Pedro Sánchez says that his government will declare a national state of mourning for the more than 25,800 deaths the European nation has suffered from the coronavirus pandemic.

Sánchez is appearing before Spain’s Parliament today to ask for a fourth two-week extension of the state of emergency that has allowed his government to apply a strict lockdown that has reined in a savage COVID-19 outbreak. It appears he will have the support despite losing the backing of the main opposition party.

Spanish health authorities report 244 new deaths over the previous 24 hours, taking the toll of virus fatalities to 25,857.

The figures, which are in line with the overall slowdown of the outbreak in Spain, don’t include thousands more who have died in nursing homes before they could be tested.

Spain also reports that its total number of confirmed infections has surpassed 253,000.

Sánchez says that he will specify when the national mourning will be held as the country emerges from a lockdown that has reduced the infection rate to under 1%. Some small shops slowly started to reopen this week.

“We have won a partial victory against the virus thanks to the sacrifice of all,” Sánchez says. “But raising the state of alarm now would be a complete error.”

— AP