Spain reports record virus deaths, a 12-year girl dies in Belgium

Mohamed Samir
2 Min Read

Spain’s coronavirus deaths soared by a record number Tuesday after reporting 849 coronavirus (COVID-19) deaths in 24 hours, highest single-day death toll. Spain – the third hardest-hit country in the world – said that hospitals in at least half of the country’s regions are at their intensive care units (ICU) bed capacities and more than 10,000 medical staff are among the country’s reported 94,417 infections.

Italy mourned the 11,591 people who have died from the COVID-19 pandemic, as mayors stood alone outside town halls across the country at to observe a minute’s silence, while flags flew at half-mast to honours the victims. The Mediterranean nation is under an unprecedented lockdown to help stem the spread of the pandemic which infected more than 101,739 people in the country.

In Belguim, authorities announced Tuesday that a 12-year-old girl has died of the coronavirus, marking the country’s youngest death due to the pandemic among the 703 victims of the pandemic. 

Government spokesperson Emmanuel Andre said that the death “is a very rare occurrence,” adding that it shook the Belgian authorities. While Russia reported 500 new cases in the biggest single-day spike since the pandemic started, bringing its total to 2,337. Russian capital Moscow has been on lockdown since Monday and the authorities are now weighing the declaration of a nation-wide state of emergency.

On the other side of the Atlantic, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo demanded health care reinforcements, saying up to 1 million more workers were needed, according to AP.

New York, the epicentre of the pandemic in the US, reported a total of 67,325 COVID-19 infections, while the state’s death toll climbed by more than 250 people in 24 hours to over 1,200.

Death toll in the US exceeded 3,000 and it is expected to surpass China’s death toll by end-Tuesday.

COVID-19 cases reported worldwide have exceeded 801,064 infections, while the global death toll surpassed 38,769. 

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Mohamed Samir Khedr is an economic and political journalist, analyst, and editor specializing in geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East, Africa, and the Eastern Mediterranean. For the past decade, he has covered Egypt's and the MENA region's financial, business, and geopolitical updates. Currently, he is the Executive Editor of the Daily News Egypt, where he leads a team of journalists in producing high-quality, in-depth reporting and analysis on the region's most pressing issues. His work has been featured in leading international publications. Samir is a highly respected expert on the Middle East and Africa, and his insights are regularly sought by policymakers, academics, and business leaders. He is a passionate advocate for independent journalism and a strong believer in the power of storytelling to inform and inspire. Twitter: https://twitter.com/Moh_S_Khedr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohamed-samir-khedr/