The death toll in Spain soared to over 4,800 on Friday after 769 people died in 24 hours, in what was a record one-day figure for fatalities, AFP reports.

Spain has the world's second-highest coronavirus death toll after Italy, and has so far suffered 4,858 deaths, while the number of cases jumped to 64,059.

A member of the Military Emergencies Unit (UME) carries out a general disinfection at the Betesda Foundation for the mentally disabled in Madrid on March 27, 2020. The death toll in Spain soared over 4,800 after 769 people died in 24 hours, in what was a record one-day figure for fatalities in the country. — AFP
A member of the Military Emergencies Unit (UME) carries out a general disinfection at the Betesda Foundation for the mentally disabled in Madrid on March 27, 2020. The death toll in Spain soared over 4,800 after 769 people died in 24 hours, in what was a record one-day figure for fatalities in the country. — AFP

Although Spain's latest figures showed a daily increase of nearly 8,000 new infections, the uptick comes as the country moves to dramatically increase its rate of testing, ordering millions of kits from around the world.

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