Spain virus death toll tops 10,000 after record 950 deaths

The coronavirus death toll in Spain surged past 10,000 on Thursday after a record 950 deaths in 24 hours, with the number of confirmed cases passing the 110,000 mark, the government said.

Spain has the world's second-highest death toll after Italy, with the virus so far claiming 10,003 lives although the rate of new infections and deaths continued its downward trend, the health ministry figures showed.

The number of new infections increased by 7.9 percent, compared with 8.2 percent on Wednesday and more than 25 percent at the start of last week.

The daily rise in deaths also slowed to 10.5 percent on Thursday, virtually unchanged from 10.6 percent on Wednesday and down from 27 percent a week ago.

"The data show the curve has stabilised" and the epidemic has entered a "slowdown" phase, Health Minister Salvador Illa said.

Officials have warned that even if the epidemic is peaking, the pressure on the intensive care system would be subject to a lag of a week or longer, with hospitals likely to reach crisis point by the end of this week or early next.

Madrid remains the worst-hit region, with 4,175 deaths and more than 32,000 cases, leaving hospitals and mortuaries overwhelmed.