Overnight coronavirus deaths in Spain at its lowest in 19 days

The number of coronavirus deaths in Spain dropped for a third consecutive day on Saturday, with 510 fatalities reported in the past 24 hours — the smallest overnight rise since March 23.

The slowdown is an encouraging sign for the European country, which has suffered the third-highest number of casualties from the flu-like virus after Italy and the United States.

Spain’s total death toll from the disease surged to 16,353, the Health Ministry said in a statement, while the number of confirmed cases hiked to more than 160,000.

Lawmakers voted Thursday evening to extend the state of emergency measures in Spain until April 26. Prime Spanish Minister Pedro Sanchez hinted that he may need to ask for a third extension to prolong measures until May.