Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez asked Spaniards on Saturday to remain strong, as new cases and the number of deaths due to novel coronavirus are expected to increase in the coming days and weeks.
Speaking from the Presidential Palace La Moncloa in Madrid, Sanchez said the worst is to yet come.
Spain is among the most affected countries in Europe and in the world,” Sanchez said. “There are hard days ahead. We have to get ready from a physiological and emotional standpoint. We have to get to the end of next week strong, very strong. The risk is everywhere.”
To strengthen Spain’s response to the crisis, Sanchez announced national production of masks, ventilators and tests will begin. Meanwhile, the government has bought 640,000 reliable ratified fast tests, and within the next few hours, Sanchez said 1.3 million masks will be handed to health personnel and patients.
Earlier on Saturday, the Spanish government said approximately 15,000 tests were being administered daily, and that the government is working to acquire four robots to increase testing capacity to almost 80,000 tests a day.
The statement said that it’s important to note that the number of tests do not equal the number of patients; sometimes a single patient may require multiple testing for a proper diagnosis.
