Sanchez to the nation: We can flatten the curve, Italy and France

(Patria) – The number of patients in intensive care units in Italian hospitals is starting to decline slightly, and now stands at less than 4,000, which is less than the previous day.

The number of deaths is also slightly declining: at the end of the week, 684 people died, which is slightly less than the 700 from the day before.

The slight decrease in new cases is attributed to social distancing measures that have been in effect since the beginning of March.

The number of new cases is also falling in Spain – in the last 24 hours, 7,000 new cases have been recorded, which is still slightly less than the previous two days.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has extended the country's lockdown measures until April 25, encouraging the nation with the words 'we are in a position to flatten the curve,' a phrase that has become a motto for many countries around the world.

He warned that even when the numbers start to decrease, it does not mean the end of the crisis: 'We are facing the biggest crisis of our lives,' Sanchez emphasized.

The total number of confirmed infections in Spain is 124,736, and more than 11,000 people have lost their lives.

Sanchez added that 'only a vaccine can bring victory that will mark the end, and unfortunately, that is still several months away.'

The number of deaths has also slowed in France, which recorded 441 deaths in the last 24 hours compared to 588 the previous day.

The total number of deaths in French hospitals and nursing homes since the beginning of the epidemic in that country is 7,560.