Spain's Health head: virus cases are stabilizing

The rise in coronavirus cases in Spain was "much slower" and the country may be "entering a stabilization phase", a top official said on Thursday.

Spain's health ministry reported 12,423 new coronavirus cases and 126 confirmed deaths on Thursday, the day when a court ruling struck down a partial lockdown of the country's hardest hit region of Madrid.

Spain has confirmed 848,324 infections since the start of the pandemic, the highest caseload in Europe.

The official death toll rose to 32,688, although limits on testing, especially during the first months of the crisis, means the true number of victims is likely much higher.

Fernando Simon, the top official in charge of Spain's response to the pandemic, said data showed the rise of infections in the country was "much slower" although warned cases were still rising.

He said: "We perhaps we are entering a phase of stabilization. Hopefully we will achieve it, but the truth is that now we are still seeing an increase in the number of cases."

The country's 14-day rate of 256 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants varies greatly from region to region, with Madrid's 563 topping the charts.

That's five times the European average rate as of September 27, according to data of the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Central government and regional Madrid officials are trying to come up with new measures for the Spanish capital after a court on Thursday ruled against an existing travel ban.

Simon said that regardless of the court ruling citizens should be responsible and "take into account the risk they inflict on others if they move around."

This story has not been edited by www.republicworld.com and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.