Spain holds minute of silence for virus victims

Police officers, ambulance drivers and street cleaners stood in the pouring rain in Madrid as people in Spain fell silent to pay their respects on Tuesday to those who have died of the coronavirus.

Overnight, Spain recorded 849 virus deaths, the highest daily toll since the pandemic hit the southern European country.

It has now claimed the lives of 8,189 people in the country.

Despite the jump in deaths, Spain's Head of Medical Emergencies, Dr. Fernando Simon, said on Tuesday "it would not make any sense" to introduce new restrictions to combat the virus.

He said analytics had shown the current measures put in place by Spanish authorities were "little by little having the desired effect".

Hard-hit Spain along with Italy now account for more than half of the 38,714 COVID-19 deaths reported, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.