Spain has registered more than 23,000 new Covid-19 cases since Friday, health emergency chief Fernando Simon told a news conference, suggesting the infection rate had declined slightly from an Aug 21 peak.

Health ministry data showed 2,489 new cases were diagnosed in the past 24 hours, bringing the total since the onset of the pandemic to 462,858.

“Of course we are worried because we have to stabilise and bring down the infection chain,” Health Minister Salvador Illa told Catalonia’s regional TV channel 324, adding that the goal is to avoid pressuring hospitals.