Spain, Italy, France record lowest daily death toll

The number of people dying from COVID-19 dropped to its lowest level in over a month in the three European countries most impacted by the pandemic, official figures show.

Italian authorities said on Sunday that 260 people had succumbed to the disease over the previous 24 hours — the lowest daily increase since March 14.

In France, the daily death toll stood at 242 on Sunday, a level not observed since early March while in Spain, the number of fatalities dropped to 288, the lowest figure since March 20 and a sharp decline from the 378 registered on Saturday.

It comes as the country lifted some more restrictions on Sunday, allowing children to step outside of their house for the first time in six weeks.

More than 23,000 people have now lost their lives to the pandemic in Spain, the third-highest tally in the world after the US and Italy.

But the authorities, who believe the worst is now over, have taken steps to ease one of the world's toughest lockdown imposed on March 14.

From today (April 26), children under the age of 14 are allowed out once a day for one hour between 9.00 am and 9.00 pm local time, accompanied by one parent, and no further than one kilometre from their home.

All Spaniards will be allowed out for exercise and to take walks from next weekend, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Saturday.

The government will on Tuesday unveil its broader lockdown exit plan that will likely be put into action in the second half of May, he added.


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