TOPLINE:Spain reported its lowest daily increase in coronavirus deaths in six weeks on Sunday, with 164 new deaths, as it eases stay-at-home restrictions after weeks under one of the strictest lockdowns in the world.

KEY FACTS

Deaths in Spain increased by 0.7% from Saturday to Sunday, with a decrease in intensive care unit admissions and new case increase of just 0.39%, reports CNN.

Spain has had one the strictest lockdowns in Europe, with adults permitted outside only for essential business, mandatory closure of all restaurants (no takeaway or delivery allowed), and children permitted outside for an hour a day only beginning April 26, which has helped to enable the nation’s success at flattening the death and new case coronavirus curves.

As the government banned all non-essential workers from leaving their homes for anything aside from essential business at the end of March, deaths increased by 20% day-over-day, according to Reuters.

On Sunday, Spain allowed adults out of the home for solo exercise for the first time since its lockdown began on March 15.

PROMOTED

Starting Monday, Spain will begin “phase zero” of reopening, allowing restaurants to operate takeaway service and some retail shops to open by appointment only.

KEY BACKGROUND

Spain entered its state-of-emergency lockdown on March 15 and has had the second-most cases of coronavirus in the world at 247,122 and 25,264 deaths (with the United States leading at nearly 1.7 million cases and 67,596 deaths). The country’s state-of-emergency is slated to lift May 11, as it enters “phase one” of reopening, which will allow groups of 10 to gather with social distance (six feet between each other) outside or within homes, sidewalk cafes to open at 50% capacity, open air markets to open at 25% capacity and more, according to El Pais. Phase two begins on May 25 with restaurant, cinema and cultural activity resumption under capacity restrictions.