Daily US Times: Spain has recorded more than one million Covid-19 cases, becoming the first western European country to pass that milestone.
The country reported 16,973 infections on Wednesday and 156 deaths in the previous 24 hours.
Since its first diagnosed case on 31 January, the country has now recorded a total of 1,005,295 infections.
Spain is the sixth nation worldwide to report one million cases after the US, India, Brazil, Russia and Argentina.
Europe has seen a surge in new coronavirus infections over the last few months, forcing governments to bring in strict new measures to try and control outbreaks of the virus and ensure hospitals do not become overwhelmed.
Spain was hit hard by coronavirus in the first months of the current pandemic and brought in some of the strictest measures to contain it – including banning children from going outside.
Like most European countries, Spain lessened its regulations as infection numbers dropped. Politicians in the country highlighted the need to bring back tourists as a way to boost the struggling economy.
But by the end of August, new daily Covid-19 case numbers were rising by 10,000 a day. In the past two weeks alone, hospital admissions have ticked up by 20% while deaths have also begun to rise, with the toll climbing by 218 on Tuesday.
In total, 34,366 Covid-related deaths have been recorded in Spain.
However, lawmakers are bitterly divided over how to handle the pandemic. On Wednesday, politicians in the national parliament were debating a no-confidence motion in Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez filed by the far-right Vox Party, while central government has clashed repeatedly with regional leaders over how best to proceed.
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