The death toll in Spain dropped to a 19-day low Saturday, marking a third consecutive day of decline as officials prepared to ease lockdown restrictions.
The country recorded 510 coronavirus deaths, officials said, fewer than any daily total since March 23 and a drop from 950 a day at the beginning of April. The number of confirmed cases climbed to 161,852 from 157,022 a day earlier.
Spain ranks third worldwide in the number of deaths, after Italy and the US.
The slowing death rate has prompted officials to loosen the reigns on stay-home orders implemented in mid-March. Beginning Monday, construction and manufacturing workers will be allowed to return to their jobs.
Still, Spain promised to heed the advice of the World Health Organization, which warned last week that reverting to old ways of life too quickly could cause a resurgence in cases.
“Spain continues in a state of lockdown,” health minister Salvador Illa said Friday. “We are not yet in a de-escalation phase.”
On Thursday, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez predicted the lockdown would continue past its scheduled April 26 end date.
