SPAIN’S DEATH TOLL from Covid-19 has overtaken China following the deaths of a further 738 people in the past 24 hours.

The figure brings to 3,434 the total number of people who have died from the virus in the country to date, more than the 3,281 people who have died in China, where the illness first emerged late last year.

Only Italy, where 6,820 people have died so far, has more deaths than Spain as a result of the coronavirus.

The number of deaths came as Spain enters its 11th day of  lockdown to try and combat the spread of the virus in a country where 47,610 people are now infected.

Last night, the country’s armed forces asked NATO for humanitarian assistance to fight the coronavirus.

Like many other countries, Spain has been struggling with a lack of medical supplies for testing, treatment and the protection of frontline workers.

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In a statement, NATO said the country’s military had asked for “international assistance”, seeking medical supplies to help curb the spread of the virus both in the military and in the civilian population. 

The request specified 450,000 respirators, 500,000 rapid testing kits, 500 ventilators and 1.5 million surgical masks.

With reporting from - © AFP 2020