Spain sees record death toll with 849 fatalities in 24 hours: govt

• The increase came after a day in which the number of deaths had fallen slightly, raising hopes the epidemic could be reaching a peak in Spain.
• Another 9,222 people tested positive for the virus over the past 24 hours, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 94,417.

MADRID: Once again, Spain hit a new record with 849 people dying of COVID-19 in 24 hours, hiking the overall death toll to 8,189, the government said on Tuesday.

The increase came after a day in which the number of deaths had fallen slightly, raising hopes the epidemic could be reaching a peak in Spain, which has logged the world's second-highest number of deaths from the virus, after Italy.

Another 9,222 people tested positive for the virus over the past 24 hours, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 94,417.